This new sandwich joint in Tanjong Pagar serves up hearty tuna melts and seriously good breakfast muffins

A new sandwich joint just opened in the CBD this month, joining the ranks of other popular spots like Mamma Mia Focaccia and Korio. But Between Buns Deli is not entirely new to the scene. If the name sounds familiar, that’s because chef-founder Ahmir Arshad has spent the last six years quietly building a cult following through pop-ups and collaborations, where he sold his famous fried chicken sammies and other creations. He was also the head chef at Wildcard, a natural wine bar in Havelock, where his oxtail doughnuts and sticky toffee pudding earned constant nods of approval. And now, he finally gets to give Between Buns a permanent address right in the thick of Tanjong Pagar's office crowd. 

The space itself sits on the first floor of SBF Centre, and might be the most colourful thing along the dreary stretch of office buildings. Think playful primary colours, birch plywood accents, quirky posters and sunlight streaming in through the windows. Many customers get their orders to go, but if you want to enjoy a more leisurely lunch, there are plenty of booth seats and counter seats at the back available. 

Between Buns' menu is built around four kinds of breads: sourdough, schiacciata, hoagie rolls and brioche, breakfast and lunch options, plus three salad bowls (from $14). There's the classic fried chicken on brioche buns ($16), which everyone already knows and loves, as well as a spicy chicken schiacciata with chipotle, cucumber and baby romaine ($14). We start with the roasted broccolini schiacciata ($14). It's one of the fresher, lighter – and vegetarian – options on the menu. The bread itself is chewy and airy with enough structure, while the broccolini is cooked to the perfect doneness, retaining some crunch. There's a good amount of stracciatella which oozes out delightfully, and its creaminess goes well with the charred greens, tahini, red pesto and the bitterness of arugula. 

You know they're not playing around with their sourdough sandwiches, seeing as they've gotten a panini press imported straight from Italy. The toasted tuna melt ($14) is straightforward but solid, and we like how there's a good amount of meat. The downside is that it gets cloying and one-dimensional over time, which is why the fine bits of green chilli are much needed to add a subtle sharpness to each bite. Honestly, we could do with even more green peppers. It's complemented with even more tangy flavours – sriracha, gherkins – and a slice of cheddar.

Top up $9, and you get the oxtail melt ($23), a hefty parcel that exempts no one from a food coma. Fans of Wildcard's oxtail doughnuts will recognise the familiar flavour profile, but this feels like a meatier, less refined (read: better) version. The meat is braised for over 24 hours till it develops a deep richness, before it's hand-shredded and packed between toasted slices.

Then comes the French dip ($20), one of the more intriguing offerings on the menu, simply because the dish remains oddly uncommon in Singapore. Here, oxtail makes a reappearance in the form of a dipping gravy, while the beef and caramelised onions are a good balance between savoury and sweet. The hoagie roll, however, is not quite sturdy enough to survive repeated dunks in the gravy, without all the other toppings like roasted peppers and provolone slipping out halfway. 

Our favourite item on the menu turns out to be the humble chicken sausage and egg muffin ($13). The juicy chicken sausage patty is good, the cheddar does its part, the house-made fermented chilli mayo is equal parts tangy and bright, and the arugula adds crunch and a burst of freshness, but it's the omelette that stands out. The cubed slice is peculiarly perfect, its texture delicate and soft – somewhere between steamed Chinese egg and silken tofu. We have no problems wolfing this down in minutes.

On the side, the Cajun fries ($5) are dangerously snackable, while the potato salad ($5) nails it in terms of texture, but is slightly heavy on the onions, so proceed with caution. As for desserts, the sticky toffee pudding with vanilla ice cream ($15) is an upgrade from Wildcard's. The orange zest garnish is a miss for some folks, but others love the citrus hit it brings. We're somewhere in the middle, though the pudding itself remains excellent. The double-chip cookie ($5.50) comes studded with 55 percent chocolate chunks and crushed Ruffles chips – pricey for a cookie, and we don't quite get the intention of adding the chips.

Drinks-wise, Between Buns offers homemade cold brew ($4.20 for black, $4.80 for white and $5.80 for oat) and horchata ($5.80) alongside a selection of sodas, apple tea and soft drinks. Our horchata is pleasantly sweet, thick and milky, though admittedly not the best pairing for indulgent sandwiches like these. 

Time Out's rating: 4/5

Second to salad stands, sandwich joints in the CBD are a match made in heaven. And we'd happily add one more to our weekly rotation. It helps that Between Buns brings enough variety and personality to stand out from the existing pack, offering not just one type of bread but four. There are plenty of lighter, refreshing options and heavier, greasier picks depending on what you're feeling, and while not every item is a knockout, there are more than enough to justify a repeat visit. 

Between Buns Deli is open from Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm at 160 Robinson Rd, SBF Centre, #01-01, Singapore 068914. Find out more here.

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