I've tried several different Cuban sandwiches before. They've been pretty good for the most part with a couple I'd dare say were very good. But they all pale in comparison to the Sandwich Project and their El Jefe.
It was a drizzly day when I came here on the recommendation of my wife. I dare say it was because of the iffy weather that they weren't all that busy - in fact on this particular day, none of the collection of excellent stalls at Kerb at Kings Cross were busy. Ordering is simple - they do two sandwiches, one was the El Jefe, the other was a club sandwich of some description with a fried egg. You pay, get a number and then wait. But don't go too far, because watching the detail and effort they put into the sandwiches is worth the price of admission alone.
For example, with the El Jefe - they put the ham and pork on the flat top. I've only ever seen that done for a sandwich on shows like Diners, Drive Ins and Dives, and films like Chef - I've certainly never heard of it being done in a British restaurant or streetfood vendor. The best I've had before was someone fried the sandwich in butter, but the ham never touched the grill. Immediately I'm enthralled.
Then they finish the up on a plancha! They had an actual plancha! Ok sure, it could have been a panini press in another life, I'm no expert, so I wouldn't know the difference by looking at it. But it did the job - it pressed it down into an edible size and toasted the bread. As for the sandwich? Sublime. I no longer know whether this or Liberty Cheesesteak's original cheesesteak is the best sandwich in London (that Cheesesteak has been my undisputed king for several years). It's a close tie, certainly. That is how good the El Jefe is. The London sandwich scene has a new challenger! read more