Named after Chiara’s grandfather, whose motto “Simple and delicious: that’s the secret” serves as the mission statement, is Da Sandro Panini Bar. And although he died six months ago, his legacy lives on.
Everything about this upmarket eatery is so Italian it could be somewhere in Tuscany. The food, the furniture, the ambience. Even the walls ooze a sense of passion. Check out the specials board and the menu.
The paninis are named after Chiara’s friends and family. “We try to make it personal and to infuse a sense of belonging. Whenever someone orders an Alby, I think of him,” she explains. For example, a Raffo – named after a deceased artist friend – is spicy salami, pecorino, rocket, Sandro’s red bell pepper sauce and served on panini bread for $7.50. Sissy ($7) is made from a salmon base. Pork sausage enthusiasts can opt for Mau on a ciabatta ($6). A variety of toasts – think sandwiches – are $3 to $4.50. Costy ($3) is vegetarian and Vale ($4.50) is cooked ham.
A glass of very drinkable white or red wine is $3 a glass or $13.50 a litre. Those who want to splash out can opt for the $30 to $48 bottles of notable Italian wine. The dark chocolate, like all the food on the menu, is made on the premises. “This is truly decadent,” comments my dining companion as he slips another spoonful into his mouth.
Chiara is a restaurant owner who is fully involved in her business. She runs a tight operation and gets to know her customers as people: a refreshing change from the absentee-expat restaurateurs. The majority of customers are foreign business types, but Cambodians are starting to find Da Sandro’s as well. The most important factor is repeat business: “Some people come here five or six days in a row and then we don’t see them for another week,” offers Chiara. “The lunchtimes are generally quite busy. Sometimes we run out of tables.”
Panini and cold cuts are for sale in the small deli part of the operation. Sauces for sale will be arriving soon. Future plans include moving into catering, further developing the deli offerings and training up more staff. But Chiara doesn’t want to rush the process: “We want a controlled growth. You have to have the product before you can expand and doing it too quickly doesn’t work because it deviates from our philosophy of simple and delicious.”
Da Sandro’s is a tad more expensive than some of the other sandwich places around town, but when you factor in the quality of the ingredients, the immaculate premises and the delightful personalities, it all adds up to good value for money.
Da Sandro Panini Bar, #162 Street 63