Crunch in Hackney

The basic flavours of the Michael’s chicken sandwich are similar to something like a McDonald’s Mayo Chicken: a chicken fillet, mayo, lettuce and a sesame-seeded bread. But 100x better. The chicken was tender and incredibly juicy, pairing well with the crisp lettuce and pickles. A healthy amount of aioli to accompany (always needed!), and crunchy fried brioche bread - which fills you up for hours. Really great presentation too, looks as delicious as it tastes. We also shared the 1000 layer potatoes, which had a nice accompanying sauce, but were themselves a fun idea but not especially mind blowing.

If you’re in The City, Shoreditch, Spitalfields area of London, what are you doing for lunch today? No plans? Great, you need to get over to Crunch in the centre of Old Spitalfields Market. These guys have a permanent location in N1, but this review is all about their pop-up stall in the market. These guys make a sandwich to die for, and trust me, after this lunch you may not need dinner in the evening. We had an office trip around the corner, but I can only comment on my food. Needless to say, everyone was equally stoked with their experience. I opted for the Mighty Steak Sandwich, accompanied by the 1000 Layers Potato. The Might Steak Sandwich: Crunch Golden Brioche, 170g of grass-fed flat iron steak, torched provolone cheese, roasted red peppers, dressed arugula and homemade chimichurri. Oh my God, this was amazing. The brioche was toasted to perfection, it was just on the edge of toasted… giving a satisfying audible crunch, whilst maintaining the consistency we all love of a brioche loaf. The steak was melt in your mouth passion, and the arugula and chimichurri was the slight kick you want on your taste buds. As a bearded man, sometimes a sarnie like this scares me…. But this was a well constructed bit of food that held together well and did not become entangled in my whiskers. 1000 Layer Potato Slow-cooked potatoes in garlic and thyme/paprika-infused olive oil, deep fried and served with a side of Bloody Mary ketchup. A lot of chefs claim to have invented this kind of giant layered chip, but let’s cut the BS and just admit it’s always a twist on dauphinoise potato. Anyway, that gripe aside, this is the best layered potato chip I have ever tried. I am an Irishman who not only loves eating potato, but I also grow them. We know a thing or two about spuds, and these guys are treating this mighty vegetable with love. The garlic and thyme work well with paprika, and the Bloody Mary ketchup soothes the palate. I was lucky to have an industry discount, but even at full price this is a great value lunch in The City of London. Go try it now!

Right in the middle of Old Spitalfields Market, Crunch are doing great things! I went for the Michael’s chicken sandwich with dill aioli which was incredible. Excellent quality and absolutely delicious. Not your average sandwich, so satisfying. Prices about average and service great. Highly recommend when you’re in the area. The truffle beef patty with Red Leicester, crispy onion marmalade & truffle mayo sounds amazing too.. I need to go back.