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One of the most common responses I’d get whenever I start complaining about my “pregnancy cravings” to my friends is: “What’s stopping you from getting it?” Well, most of the time it would be my dietary restrictions. Frankly, finding at least a Muslim-friendly version of my newest obsession — Italian sandwiches. Rawtee at Bukit Bintang thankfully got my back!
Using mindfully-sourced ingredients, Muslim-owned Rawtee substitutes the usual trimmings in Italian sandwiches like prosciutto, pancetta, and mortadella with the pork-free varieties instead. Their focaccias were also custom-ordered from trusted suppliers; that’s how you know they mean business.
While ordering, the owner told us that most of their Italian and French patrons even claimed the sandwiches are better than the authentic ones in Italy. Let’s just say my expectations were as high as my eyebrows upon hearing that.
What I tried at Rawtee
There’s a total of 6 sandwiches on the menu, and we were recommended to try 4 of the crowd-favourites — starting with Fichi Honey Feta (RM24.90 for 50g, RM45.90 for 90g). If you’re not a big-eater, I suggest you only get the smaller size for all of the sandwiches!
Although this was my first time at Rawtee, I had heard (and seen) of this sandwich more than I saw my own relatives. Everyone seems to go crazy whenever they see figs on bread. Me included.
The Fichi Honey Feta might be the smallest of the bunch — consisting of cured beef, pesto cream, fresh figs, feta, and honey. After squishing the sandwich more in an effort of taking a bite, I was immediately hit with the sweetness from the honey.
This burst of saccharine appeared in tandem with the freshness of the juicy figs, followed by the savouriness of the cured beef. The pesto was amazing and as traditional as it gets, though when paired with the feta, it could be a bit salty to some. My only gripe — or suggestion, really — was the absence of hot honey. The added zing would’ve promoted this spectacular sandwich to my personal hall of fame.
Having kicked off our tasting with the most popular item, it was only fair to keep the vibe going with Rawtee’s signature — Mortadella Bologna (RM22.90 for small, RM39.90 for regular). This, to me, was eye-catchingly unique.
Between the focaccia slices were mortadella chicken, pistachio cream, stracciatella cheese, and pistachio crumbs. The only word I could utter after taking a bite was — huh. Yes, if I were to describe the taste, it would be unexpected and confusing.
The mortadella tasted heavily of poultry essence, paired with the naturally fragrant pistachio cream, stringy and chewy stracciatella, and crunchiness from the crumbs. This ended up being my colleague and my dad’s favourite (I tapau-ed some back home, sorry not sorry). However, our team did agree that something tart like a berry jam would improve the one-note flavour to something more vibrant.
Next on our roster was Agnello Pesto (RM25.90 for 50g, RM46.90 for 90g) — the giant of the lineup! It was bursting with lamb leg, pesto cream, mozzarella cheese, sundried tomatoes, pine nuts, arugula, and grana padano.
This Agnello fella definitely didn’t walk the runway to not leave a mark. Every ingredient was curated to totally dominate your tastebuds with richness, nuttiness, and savouriness. The lamb slices were luxurious, going hand-in-hand with the creamy pesto, two types of cheeses, and pine nuts. The arugula was addictive and crisp, though I had wished the sundried tomatoes had more room to shine in the baddie convention.
If you wish to build a relationship with Agnello but find him too…forward, allow me to introduce you to his milder cousin — Verde (RM23.90 for small, RM41.90 for regular).
She was essentially the same thing but subtler — rocking mozzarella cheese, pesto cream, sundried tomatoes, pine nuts, basil, and grana padano. I would pick this timeless beauty over Agnello any other day.
To quench your thirst after having a very much needed carb-overload, let me steer you towards their Passionfruit Soda (RM16.90) for Bali beach in a cup, or Creme Brulee Coffee (RM15.90 for hot, RM16.90 for iced) if you need your dose of caffeine.
Final thoughts
I did not just leave Rawtee with a full and sated belly, but also a sore palate. If you’re a sandwich person, you absolutely have to drop by this joint. As someone who has more affinity with rice and noodles like Scorpios with not taking accountability, I’d say that this was enough to sustain my cravings for at least in the next 6 months.
Expected damage: RM17.90 – RM46.90 per pax
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