Healthy bites

What say you on the issue below?

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SANDWICHES have evolved from being just a breakfast or tea snack to a full-blown meal for lunch and dinner.

And one good place to go to for a wholesome hearty sandwich is O’Briens, an Irish sandwich cafe chain known for its wide variety of sandwiches and innovative menu.

Best of all, you can eat all the sandwiches you want without feeling the guilt as they are made with high-fibre granary bread and are laden with nutritious and wholesome ingredients such as fresh greens.

With 16 types of healthy sandwiches, five different Shambos (a type of Irish sandwich) and seven Wrappos (filling wrapped up in soft flat bread) to choose from, you are indeed spoilt for choice at O’Briens.

And if that’s not enough, you can also choose your favourite filling and bread, and create your own sandwich.

Operations and business development director Brian Pua said at O’Briens, the sandwiches are prepared so quickly that it can be considered a fast-food outlet but with a healthy twist.

Responsible for introducing this brand name to Malaysia nine years ago, Pua, who is also the master franchiser of O’Briens here, is determined to continue encouraging Malaysians to be more health conscious.

“People now are more mindful of the phrase ‘We are what we eat’ than they were a decade ago.

“Of course, we still love our nasi lemak and char kuey teow. But it’s nice to see people learning how to balance their diet by eating healthier food. We just want to provide customers an appeasing meal that’s completely guilt-free and healthy.”

One of O’Briens best-sellers is the mouthwatering sun-dried tomato on hot Ciabatta. The sandwich is generously layered with sun-dried tomato, red onion, fresh tomato, mozarella cheese, roasted vegetable and fresh homemade basil pesto sauce.

Compared to other types of pesto sauce that tend to be too salty, O’Briens’ homemade pesto sauce is not too overwhelming and blends well with the other ingredients in the sandwich.

The Ciabatta bread itself is worth a mention for its slightly crispy baked skin and incredibly soft centre.

Another best-seller is the chicken slice and cheddar cheese Shambo but we opted to replace the chicken with a slice of turkey breast.

Having a flexible ‘kitchen’, O’Briens allows customers to change or omit any ingredients from their sandwiches, including the sauces, without any extra charge.

The hot Shambo also has a nice crisp skin and soft centre filled with flavourful ingredients inside. The slightly salty taste of the turkey breast combines well with the sweetness of the honey mustard mayonnaise to make for an appetising meal.

Then, there is the O’Briens signature chicken triple-decker which comes nicely toasted with chicken and chicken crisp, lettuce, cheddar cheese, red onion, coleslaw and tomato slices.

For salad lovers, O’Briens also has various tossed salads on the menu. The light but satisfying classic Caesar salad is its top seller. It comes with crunchy croutons and chicken crisp tossed with Parmesan cheese, mixed leaves, olives and, of course, Caesar dressing sauce.

Prices for the sandwiches, Shambos and Wrappos range from RM9 to RM18.50.