There are three inescapable truths to life in Sydney: train delays, yarns about property and queues for the hottest new opening. If you’re lucky, you can hit the trifecta in one day. We’ve seen lines snake for Lune’s expertly engineered croissants and Mensho Tokyo’s steaming bowls. The common denominator? The venues made a name for themselves elsewhere, then travelled it to Sydney. The latest to do so is Age 3, Japan’s “fried sandwich” store. And it opened to immediate (and two-hour) queues.

Pronounced “ah-geh-san”, Age 3 is a play on the word ageru, meaning “deep-fry”. The “san” is the three, and also riffs on the word sando. Each sandwich is a fried, diagonally cut slice of shokupan. The golden milk bread is slit open like a pita pocket, then stuffed chock-full of your chosen flavour.

Sweet options include plain, custard, chocolate and matcha creams – using whipped cream imported from Japan – topped with fresh fruit or biscuits. The savoury range spans carb-on-carb options like noodles, plus curry and egg salad. There are 32 flavours to choose from, including an Aussie-exclusive lamington special.

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Age 3’s concept was born at a classic Japanese fruit-sandwich shop, Fruits Sand Three, in Kama, Fukuoka. Head chef Kouhei Matusita’s fried sandwiches became so popular the team opened a dedicated shop – Age 3 – in the Ginza district of Tokyo. They’ve since rolled out another kiosk in Fukuoka, plus one in Hong Kong and Shanghai.

When Broadsheet arrives in Ultimo – the first outpost Down Under – at 12.45pm, there are two crowds. One group is hovering by Harris Street awaiting their order, the other is queued in the adjacent laneway, 20 metres deep. As we take our place in the queue, we’re able to watch Age 3’s employees in action.

One worker keeps the queue organised to avoid blocking foot traffic, while another passes around menus so patrons are ready when it’s their turn to order. After 20 minutes, we get a front-row seat to the open kitchen. It’s abuzz with more than 10 staff in dedicated zones, moving at breakneck speed. At the centre of it all is Matusita, who’s also in action on a looping video behind the till.

Another 20 minutes pass and it’s our time to order. Waiting for 40 minutes at peak lunchtime – a massive reduction from the opening day’s two hours – is grounds to over-order, which is exactly what we did. The original plain whipped cream, a cinnamon apple pie number, the egg salad and a chicken nanban: we’re on.

The order takes 10 minutes to come out and our first bite is of the cinnamon apple pie. It’s wonderfully textural: a crispy outer crunch and airy soft interior. The custard cream straddles the line of not too sweet, and it’s a fun take on a Macca’s-style apple pie. The egg salad is not unlike what you’d find at a konbini, with added crunch; though the chicken nanban is stuffed with egg salad, so ordering both wasn’t necessary.

Is it worth the wait? It’s definitely much cheaper and quicker than flying to Japan. And trying to time your visit to minimise your wait time is a competitive Sydney sport.

Age 3
Shop 92, 732 Harris Street, Ultimo

Hours:
Thu to Sun 11.30am–7pm
Till March 30

Mon to Sat 7am–8pm
Sun 11.30am–6pm
From April 1

@age.3_sydney