Reuben & Moore, Westfield Sydney

“A good Reuben is a sandwich with an attitude that stands out among sandwiches.
It is the Zsa Zsa Gabor among the Julia Roberts of sandwiches if you will.”

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When I was a kid, I remember something cheeky I used to do whenever I ate a Big Mac.

McDonalds was awesome for an insatiable schoolboy appetite but I hated pickled gherkin in my burger.  After school, I would grab a Big Mac and settle into a cosy corner of the iconic McDonalds outlet on Military road in Cremorne. Then, I would pick out those pesky gherkin slices and flick them onto the wall behind me. Ladened with tomato sauce, they stuck onto the wall surfaces like my personal piece of gherkin artwork.

I quietly cheered when I found gherkin slices on the wall days afterwards and gleefully added more ‘gherkin art’ with each subsequent Big Mac. And, as my schoolboy appetite would dictate, I became a pretty good gherkin flicker during those carefree days.

Perhaps pickled gherkin and tangy sauerkraut have something to do with my initial dislike for the Reuben sandwich. But my undying fondness for the savoury taste of corned beef has lead me to believe that a good Reuben is a sandwich with an attitude. This sandwich stands out among most sandwiches. It is the Zsa Zsa Gabor among the Julia Roberts of sandwiches if you will.

So, it’s no wonder I’m excited when Brett Luckens, Head Chef at Reuben & Moore in Westfield Sydney invites me to lunch to check out his Reuben sandwiches. Owned by Sydney celebrity chef Michael Moore, Reuben & Moore’s concept is offering its customers a great wagyu Reuben, spit roast and grilled meat sandwiches, salads and plates of roast beef, pork and ham.

The upmarket food court on Level 5 in Westfield Sydney opened its doors in late 2010 and after nearly four years, it remains a haunt for food lovers with its sheer variety of cuisines ranging from Chinese dumplings, noodles to gourmet burgers, fish and chips, Japanese sushi, chocolates and Italian pizza and pastas.

“We go through two hundred and sixty kilos of wagyu beef rump every week for our Reubens!” Brett tells me.

“So it’s easy to see which is the menu favourite among our customers” he adds.

“Two hundred and sixty kilos of beef a week translates to a serious number of Reuben sandwiches!” I replied.

Reuben and Moore’s menu is simple and so it should be when there is so much food on Level 5 of this gourmet heaven.

Fresh sandwiches are always a good option for those working around this area of Sydney CBD who are short on time during lunch hour.

It’s not difficult to understand why Luckens’ Reuben sandwich is popular.

A thick slice of corned silverside beef, sauerkraut, pickles and Swiss cheese are packed into soft rye bread and then drizzled generously with honey mustard. The salt in the beef is subtle and the strands of lean meat are tender and juicy. I prefer my Reuben toasted because crisp, warm bread with succulent meat is truly mouthwatering.

The Reuben club sandwich (Cover image above) is impressive with two thick layers of wagyu corned silverside, pastrami, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut and pickles sandwiched by three pieces rye bread.

The civil and polite way to eat this whopper is to pick it up with your hands and start chowing down. In addition to the wagyu salt beef rump from Rangers valley, there’s also generous pastrami slices spiced with black pepper. Although it does not come with Swiss cheese, the Reuben club appears to be much more wholesome and better value than the regular Reuben since both are $14.50.

Roast beef, ham and pork comes with a choice of duck fat roasted potatoes, vegetables or a salad.

The Reuben burger is a hearty pile of wagyu beef pattie, spiced pastrami, Swiss cheese, lettuce and chipotle mayo sandwiched by a soft and crisp burger bun.

I am with my friend Monk and being two hungry boys in front of these sandwiches and burger is a good way be.

“Is there a bar or pub nearby?” I ask Monk.

“Not sure, why do you ask?” he replies.

“This is serious bloke food and I can use a couple of cold beers with this burger right now!”

Luckens is a busy man during peak lunch hour. He’s literally flying on his feet and Reuben after Reuben is churned out to the CBD lunch crowd.

As I observe Luckens at work, he takes no more than thirty seconds to assemble and prepare a Reuben club sandwich from the sounds of a first ‘ding’ on the bell. Thereafter, he’s hollering out “Order number  53, Reuben sandwich!!”

A hot roast sandwich bar and grill is a pretty good proposition in right in the heart of Sydney CBD. The choice of grilled meats, ham and chicken schnitzel is enticing to meat lovers.

Vegetarians also have a choice of salads, vegetarian sandwich, soups and bread.

The choice of beef, ham and pork for the roast plates are enticing and they come with roasted duck fat potatoes, vegetables or a salad and one of these would be my fancy the next time I’m back.

So dear readers, are you a fan of the famed Reuben sandwich and if so, which Sydney restaurant serves your favourite Reuben?

ChopinandMysaucepan dined courtesy of Brett Luckens and Reuben & Moore. Prices are included for readers’ information. All views and opinions are our own.

Reuben & Moore
Level 5, Westfield Sydney
86 – 100 Market street
Sydney, New South Wales

http://reubenandmoore.com.au

Tel:  +61 2 8072 9777

Opening hours: Seven days a week 10am – 5pm, late night Thursday. Dine in or takeaway. Pick up only, delivery upon request. Fully licensed.

Reuben & Moore also caters to office breakfast and lunch.

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