Bangkok needs more deli-style sandwiches, so seeing thick slabs of pink salt beef on our social media immediately grabbed our attention. You might call it corned beef or silverside depending on where you’re from, but it’s a chunk of normally tough brisket that’s been brined and boiled until falling-apart juicy and tender.
That Salt Beef is a new little spot tucked into Velaa Sindhorn Village, where the speciality is sandwiches and the menu is limited to highlight their beefy star.
We went straight for the full-size Salt Beef & Apple Vinegar, at B700 each, which was no joke. The sandwich is loaded, with thick slices of tender beef layered between substantial slabs of toasted sourdough, melted cheese, Dijon mustard, pickled jalapeños, caramelized onions, and a sharp vinegar reduction.
The beef is fantastic and all the accompaniments are spot on. The bread is tangy and chewy, but not too tough to get a proper bite, while the apple cider reduction is really unique and adds to the tang. There’s also a make-your-own option, where you can choose your bread, protein, cheese, sauce, vegetables and pickles.
It’s a lot of sandwich. In fact, it’s probably more lunch than most people need at 180g of beef, the half-size version at B350 would be plenty for most people, particularly if you’re sharing a couple of sides. The menu photos make the sandwich look smaller than it is when it arrives at the table.
But a takeaway box for my second half made something to look forward to later. While B700 sounds like an over-the-top sandwich price, the rest of the menu is extremely reasonable. A soda is just B30, draft beer is B130, and sides such as fries, mixed salad and boiled dashi egg are all in the B40–120 range.
The menu, while compact, does go beyond beef, with a Mentaiko Tamago sandwich at B280 and a Shiso Pepper Tuna at B300. For non-sandwich people, there are salt beef croquettes, onion soup gratinée with beef tongue, beef tongue stew, salads, beef carpaccio and a breakfast menu.
The setting is another reason to linger. The restaurant sits in the greenery of Velaa Sindhorn Village, with all that lush landscaping around the back of the Kempinski giving it a pleasantly leafy, tucked-away feel. Staff were lovely and the whole place has a relaxed, light and cozy atmosphere.
