First Look: Get Vegan Reubens and BLATs at the Plant-Based Sandwich Spin-Off of Bootleg Italian

After the success of buzzing Bootleg Italian in Paddington – which dishes up vegan spins on Italian classics like cacio e pepe and tiramisu – owner Sam Overton has turned his attention to sandwiches. At Sandwiches by Bootleg, every item is completely plant-based – from the schnitzel to the cheese.

Overton says a sandwich shop has always been in the works. He started selling the plant-based creations from the Bootleg Italian space while it was undergoing renovations. They soon developed a following among Paddington locals – so when a space opened nearby, Overton jumped on the opportunity and brought his vegan sanga shop to life.

“It’s a sandwich shop that just happens to be plant-based,” Overton tells Broadsheet. “I want people to understand that good food is good food, regardless of what it is made of – and nothing beats a good sandwich.”

Sandwiches include spins on classics and a few in-house creations. There’s a crowd-favourite Reuben (made with “pastrami”, Russian dressing, house-made sauerkraut, tasty cheese and pickles); the show-stopping Hot Chick (house-made schnitzel, cabbage and apple slaw, and chipotle mayo); and a vegan take on the BLAT (bacon, lettuce, avocado and tomato). And the “Hang Over” is truly a hangover-slayer: it’s stacked with tofu scramble, maple “bacon”, hash browns and smoky barbeque sauce.

While the sourdough is from social enterprise The Bread and Butter Project , the sea salt and rosemary focaccia, “meats” and cheeses are all made in-house. Meat replacements are crafted using seitan (vital wheat gluten) with herbs and spices.

“It took a lot of trial and error to get the meaty texture just right,” says Overton. “I’ve had regular customers express their surprise to me when I tell them everything is plant-based. Someone visiting from New York even told me our Reuben was the best sandwich he’d ever had – so I have the unofficial stamp of approval.”

The cosy venue, which is opposite Centennial Park, seats just eight diners, and there’s a couple of extra seats outside. As well as the sandwiches there’s coffee and a range of sweets (Overton tells us the salted-caramel scrolls are a must-try).

Sandwiches by Bootleg
Shop 7, 36 Oxford Street, Woollahra
0413 130 631

Hours:
Tue to Sat 8.30am–3.30pm
Sun 9.30am–3.30pm

sandwichesbybootleg.com
@sandwiches_bybootleg