Crumb Sandwiches

The whole gourmet sandwich phenomenon is anything but new, especially in Vancouver.  We've seen an array of spots open up offering premium ingredients for made-to-order creations.  There are really too many of them to list and frankly, I'm just too lazy to go through my old posts.  Let's just say there is no shortage of choices and each have their positives and negatives.  Now a new spot has opened up, yet it really isn't a store at all per se.  Located within the food truck commissary kitchens near Beta 5, Crumb Sandwiches offers up products that can be ordered ahead of time for pick-up or deliveries.

Recently, I was invited along with Diana, Tina, Sharon and Peter to check out some of their wares.  After we got these pictures out-of-the-way, we got right down to it.  I quickly snatched the Fried Chicken first.  This was on point with a succulent brined chicken breast coated with an airy light batter that was well-seasoned and crispy.  The initial hit of sweet honey gave way to a touch of chili and cilantro.  Radicchio, pea sprouts, apple and lime rounded out the ingredients and helped provide balance in terms of texture and taste.  Another impressive offering was the Prosciutto & Caramelized Pear with onion jam, arugula, triple cream blue brie on fig & walnut bread.  As expected, the complimentary flavours of the sweet jam and pear offset the saltiness of the prosciutto.  A touch of pepperiness from the arugula and sharp creaminess of the brie made for impactful hits of flavour.

Featuring succulent and moist meat, the Chicken & Bacon was really good.  I've had tender roast chicken before, but this was off-the-hook.  Brined and sous-vide beautifully, the chicken practically required no chewing.  Add in the double-smoked bacon and yep, the saltiness and smokiness added depth and body.  The tart and sweet pop of the cherry tomatoes combined with the aromatic 5-spice aioli and onion jam provided layers of flavour which were pretty distinct from each other.  The one sandwich that wasn't my favourite was the Beef Brisket braised in soy and Szechuan spices.  I found the brisket rather dry and overwhelmingly licorice-tasting from the star anise/five spice blend.  I did enjoy the spice from the chili though. Rounding out the ingredients were radicchio, snow pea, mint, cilantro & lime.

The last one I tried was the Curried Pork & Grape where the sous-vide pork loin was so tender, I originally mistakened it for turkey!  Loved the flavours in this one as the curry aioli was impactful enough without being overwhelming.  The caramelized grape was sweet and noticeable while the black currant added another hit of sweetness.  Finishing the sandwich off was pea tendrils and fennel on multigrain bread.  After trying a few of their sandwiches, we came away impressed.  Featuring house-made breads, ingredients and unique flavours, it is clear that Crumb does have enough to stand out amongst the many choices in Vancouver.

*All sandwiches were complimentary*

The Good:
- Unique flavours
- House-made everything
- On point meats (except for the brisket)

The Bad:
- Waiting for an actual storefront, at this point, only pick up from commissary
- Parking is a challenge at the current location