“Guests get the best homemade sandwiches”
Gaest is a small Nordic sandwich shop located among the CBD, run by Danish owners Kim (pictured above) and Stinne. The exactly spelling is actually ‘GÆST’ which translates into ‘Guest’ in English, which is how they want you to feel: an honored guest in their home.
Kim is a amiable fellow, looking like sunshine personified, taking pride in his homemade breads served in Gaest.
The interior of this cafe is really small, with something like 8 or 10 seats in total. A simple, homey outfit that kind of reminds me of Ikea. We sat outside (there are more chairs and tables just outside) because there was like 8 of us. The alfresco area was hot and humid though, given the typical Singapore weather. One of the small drawbacks here.
I’ve heard many Tanjong Pagar office-dwellers sing songs of praise for Gaest and just had to check it out myself for their much raved about sandwiches.
Latte/Cappucino ($4.50). Simple, straightforward and easy to drink espresso-based coffee.
Scrambled eggs with smoked salmon ($15). Soft, fluffy scrambled eggs a bit more on the uncooked side with a runny texture. I liked this not-too-firm version. Smoked salmon was decent, pretty normal I guess as most cafes get smoked salmon from the same few suppliers ensuring no surprises.
Brunch plate ($20). Danish style omelette with potato, bacon, cherry tomatoes served with sour dough bread. The bread comes with various spreads.
The tall omelette is almost like a quiche, and reminds me of Spanish omelette with potatoes layered by a soft fried egg. Bacon adds that hearty saltiness to it.
The sour dough breads include these spreads: Rhubarb compote, brie, caramel, cream cheese and butter. The sauces are amazingly good. Homemade rhubarb compote has that tangy sourness, while the caramel sauce was smooth and not overly sweet, going well with the cheese and breads.
Poached egg with eggplant and goat cheese ($15). This dish tends to get messy when you eat it, but definitely something for the poached egg fanatics.
Potato sandwich ($13). Other than potato (duh), there is toasted hazelnuts and rye bits, with chopped leek with a hint of rawness. Not a huge fan of this all-carbs sandwich, which had a sandy texture.
Pulled pork sandwich ($14). The most exalted and raved about sandwich at Gaest right here. The pork is rubbed with salt and rosemary, then simply roasted for 4 hrs, producing amazing crackling skin. There are slices of red apple within giving some sweetness, slight sourness from the orange marinated red cabbage and some crunch.
A melody of textures and flavours, at $14, I agree this is the most value for money sandwich at Gaest you have to try.
Homemade Muesli ($7). A refreshing, sweet sour breakfast dish with bits of muesli, almonds and nuts. The ratio of yoghurt to muesli was just right, so you don’t find it too heavy chewing all the crunchy pieces.
All breads are homemade at Gaest. In fact everything is made from scratch with no artificial flavours. Sandwiches tend to get sold out fast as the small kitchen can only churn our limited quantities.
Simple, homemade sandwiches, Gaest is still a little known secret sandwich shop you need to try before they get too popular. I’m sorry to burst the Indie bubble, but you know, I was there before it was cool.
Expected Damage: $15-$20 per pax
