42page

www.groovekorea.com / April 2014 42 FOOD & DRInK edited by Josh Foreman (joshforeman@groovekorea.com) GettinG there As mentioned, the shop is somewhat tricky to locate. to get there, walk out Ewha Womans University Station, exit 3. Walk straight until you get to the campus of the university. Continue walking through the campus until you get to the back gate. Cross the busy street at the back gate, then walk right. take a left at the ssamgyetang restaurant. Lord Sandwich is on the right. ☎ (02) 363-4554 Neighborhood ewha Womans University Sandwich style european deli Signature sandwiches Mushroom, Salami It’s worth visiting this eccentric café solely to admire the won- derfully odd design of the building and the wall-size portraits of European royalty that decorate it. Imagine a series of concrete boxes of different sizes, dissected and glued together with strips of glass. Lord Sandwich has the feel of a library or museum — classical piano music plays inside and people eat under the gaze of large drawings of John, Duke of Marlboro; George, Prince of Denmark and Queen Anne. It’s an added bonus that the sand- wiches they serve are flavorful, refined and different from all the others in this story. A statue of Darth Vader stands in the upstairs of the restau- rant holding a printed sign: “Eat your vegetable!” The chefs at Lord Sandwich obviously value an element that other sand- wicheries sometimes add as an afterthought: the vegetables. The innocuously named Mushroom Sandwich is a showcase of everything a vegetable-focused sandwich can be. The first thing you’ll notice when it arrives is its pillowy, flour-dusted Ciabatta bread. The soft bread envelops an assortment of well-prepared veggies: grilled eggplant, wilted spinach, zucchini and chunky mushrooms. Bal- samic vinegar and basil mayo add acidity, complexity and richness. The veggies are all cooked but firm, textured but not unpleasantly crunchy. It’s easy to get fo- cused on meat-based sandwiches and forget how flavorful properly seasoned and prepared veggies can be. Many of the sandwiches I tried for this story forwent the traditional cured meats of European deli sandwiches in favor of uncured meats such as steak, chicken breast and fish. Lord Sandwich’s Salami Sandwich shows just how good a sandwich with traditionally cured meat can be. Their salami is thick-cut and chewy, and adds a salty spiciness to the sandwich. They eschew lettuce on the sandwich for a layer of peppery sprouts — yet another sign that Lord Sandwich is contemplating the construction of their sandwiches rather than just going with the norm. Its toppings are rounded out with tomato, onion and a garlicky mayonnaise, and everything comes on the same soft, floury Ciabatta as the Mushroom Sandwich. Lord Sandwich is tucked away in a small neighborhood near the back entrance of Ewha Womans University. It’s hard to find, but your reward will be eating fresh, creative sandwiches in one of the most unique buildings in Seoul. It’s easy to get focused on meat- based sandwiches and forget how favorful properly seasoned and prepared veggies can be. lord sandwiCh