Creativity is the secret sauce at A Team Deli, Grange’s new sandwich spot

Ask Allen Kao what separates a good sandwich from a great one, and he’ll say all of the right things.

The ingredients have to be top notch. Likewise, the bread – the very foundation of the thing. But where a sanger can really separate itself from the pack is with the sauce.

“Sauce is the soul of the sandwich,” says Allen.

Allen’s new sandwich-driven cafe, A Team Deli, prides itself on its house-made sauces. Here, sauce is not only the glue that holds its two-handers together, but also where many of its core inspirations are expressed.

For Allen, who might be familiar to some as the former co-owner of Better Day in Hendra, one overarching purpose of A Team Deli is to showcase flavours that are less commonly found in the sandwich realm. Sure, you’ll find the classics well represented, but what will likely catch your eye first are the inventive options.

“Australia has such a diverse culture here, I felt like instead of only having the classic sandwiches – like Reuben sandwiches – I also wanted to have a bit of fusion from different cultures,” says Allen.

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Step into the bright and airy Days Road cafe (previously an antique shop and, sometime before that, a bakery) and you’ll be greeted by a stainless steel coffee and service counter fronting a concise menu board. On the list is a short selection of sandwiches – both toasted and fresh – as well as a rundown of beverages.

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Leading the offering are spongy slabs of banana bread and airy crumpets, both served with melty knobs of housemade cinnamon butter. After that, there’s a bacon and egg muffin with American cheese and AT sauce – the first example of Allen’s condiment creativity.

“It’s a little bit of barbecue sauce, mixed with our house herby mayo,” explains Allen. “It’s not just a rich herby flavor, but there’s also a little bit of sweet acidity as well.”

Up next, there’s a marinated chicken melt with pickles, caramelised onions, Swiss cheese and mozzarella, plus a cheese and fig jam toastie with Swiss, mozzarella and parmesan.

The true gem of A Team’s debut menu is the Japanese-inspired beef curry sandwich, which layers slow-cooked beef, pickled onions, American cheese and curry mayo between two toasted slices of sourdough. Once again, the sauce is the star.

“The curry is really thick – a kind of paste that really holds the meat,” says Allen. “Then we also put curry mayo in there as well, to give it another layer of flavour.”

Over the weekend, A Team Deli expanded its menu to include a trio of fresh ciabatta sandwiches.

There’s a New York-inspired chopped beef brisket with gherkins, caramelised onions, gooey American cheese and AT sauce, a classic peppercorn mortadella sandwich with stracciatella, honey, crushed almonds and EVOO, and a chicken caesar number with bacon, lettuce, fried shallots, pickled onions and a luscious caesar dressing.

The A Team Deli menu will evolve, with Allen dipping into his mental Rolodex of ideas to pop something new and exciting into rotation each month.

“I want to have a creative vibe,” says Allen. “So every month, we’ll have new things added on the menu. People will see on our Instagram how we get this inspired and how we put these ingredients into our sandwich.”

On the drinks front, Allen has linked up with Cavalier Coffee Roasters for A Team’s caffeine supply, which filters into espresso-based brews and specialty drinks – think iced lattes with banana bread cold foam and Mont Blancs crowned with a cloud of pistachio cold foam.

Though guided by a free-flowing creative ethos, Allen also reaffirms his desire to make A Team Deli an approachable and dependable place for the community to gather. With approximately 50 seats spread across the deck, footpath and interior spaces, it’s as much a place for locals to linger as it is a grab-and-go dispensary.

“I feel like this community is really willing to try new things,” says Allen. “I hope people think this place is, firstly, enjoyable, and second, relaxing. I want it to be part of their daily routine.”

A Team Deli is now open – you can find more info in The Directory.