Prices start at just 100 yen (US$0.69) for Japan’s most sought-after sandwich.
Japan is world-famous for its nutritious, healthy food, but it’s home to a whole world of sinful desserts as well. Now, the gourmet scene just got even more decadent with a new type of food that’s gone viral on social media — fried sandwiches.
The new treat was created by Fruits Sand Three (“sando” or “sand” is the abbreviation of “sandwich” in Japan), which operates out of a humble store in Kama, a small city in Fukuoka on the southern island of Kyushu.
▼ The Kama store
While the company makes some amazing fruit sandwiches, it’s become even more famous for fried sandwiches, and now that fame has led to the opening of a new store in the heart of Tokyo called Age. 3.
Pronounced with a hard “g”, “age” comes from the word “ageru”, which means “to deep fry”, while the Japanese word for “3” (“san”) sounds like “sandwich”.
The store is located in Ginza, but rather than being right in the centre of the main shopping district, it’s located on the edge of it, with the nearest station being Shintomicho.
When we arrived to check out the new store and its wares, there was a queue outside, even though it was a weekday evening, showing just how popular it is.
According to the company, the fried sandwiches at Age.3 have “a magic that transports you to an unknown world through eating them”, and there are 22 different types to choose from.
The toppings are added to the sandwich after ordering, ensuring optimal freshness and crunch to the bread. Prices start at a super-low 100 yen for the Whipped Cream variety, while all the others cost 450 yen each, and we couldn’t resist ordering four of them.
It took about 10 minutes to receive the sandwiches after ordering, and then we headed to a bench in a nearby park to enjoy them. The first one we took out of the box was the Whipped Cream, which looked absolutely gorgeous and tasted perfectly delicious, with a creamy sweetness that complemented the savoury crunch of the bread.
Next up was the Egg Salad, which was delicious and surprisingly filling. Though we initially thought 450 yen was a bit expensive for a sandwich, we changed our mind after seeing the generous amount of egg salad stuffed into the bread.
▼ We’d take this over a convenience store egg sandwich any day.
With our stomachs full from just two sandwiches, we saved the other two for when we returned to the office. By the time we got around to eating them a few hours later, they still looked just as good as they did when we bought them, but we have to say, the flavour wasn’t as good as eating them freshly made.
▼ Red Beans Butter
▼ Pistachio
That being said, they were still very tasty, and well worth all the hype they’ve received on social media, but they’re better eaten just after you buy them, so they might not make the best souvenir to travel with.
The crunch of the fried bread mixed with the fillings is part of what makes them so exquisite, so if you do have a minute to stop and taste them, you’ll be glad you did. It’s one of many Tokyo sweets that are currently making people drool on social media!
Store information
Age.3
Address: Tokyo-to, Chuo-ku, Ginza1-24-11
東京都中央区銀座1丁目24-11
Open: 11:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m. (closes as soon as it runs out)
Featured image: PR Times
Insert images: PR Times, ©SoraNews24
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