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To find a wanpaku sandwich in Ottawa requires heading up the L’Esplanade Laurier concourse to a small mezzanine counter.
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Xiang Xu has been making the layered Japanese specialty for six years at his downtown café, Some Coffee & Some Tea. The neatly boxed cross-sections of chicken or shrimp tempura, packed with ribbons of purple cabbage and a line of cheddar cheese, catch the eye before they feed the appetite.
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The cafe relies on a customer base of federal workers from the offices above, having no signage to guide the uninitiated from street level. As far as I can tell, these are the only wanpaku in the city.
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Wanpaku is the Japanese word for “mischievous,” which befits the overstuffed, almost unruly sandwiches. A thick stack of breaded protein, shredded lettuce, cheese and sauce goes between two slices of bread, cut straight down the middle and wrapped in parchment so the colourful cross-section is revealed when you open it.
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The format took off on Japanese Instagram in the late 2010s and leapt to Korea and the rest of Asia, though it has yet to catch on in Canada.
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Xu’s versions are remarkably affordable, with everything on the menu coming in under $10. Options range from a vegetarian tomato and basil ($8.95) to meat fillings ($9.25 to $9.75). Because Some Coffee & Some Tea is without a dedicated kitchen, fried proteins are prepared in advance to keep the line moving during the lunch rush, leading up to noon. By 1 p.m., the surrounding food court seating empties, making it a good time to visit if you want a quiet table and no wait at the counter.
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Of three wanpaku sandwiches I sampled with colleagues, the shrimp was a clear favourite. The tempura is crisp and the sauce is made with Japanese mustard. “Strong kick, like wasabi, but not the same,” said Xu, who makes the sauces in-house. The tartar on the chicken version has a pleasant tang, mixed with relish and lemon juice.
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If you arrive early, Xu serves pressed breakfast sandwiches from 7:30 a.m. onward. He seals the edges of the bread to trap fillings like egg and cheese ($4.75), bacon ($7.25), or ham ($7.15) in a melted pocket. Before you leave, scan the pastry case for his popular, house-baked Basque cheesecake — it sells out fast and was already gone when I returned to order a slice.
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Given the name above the counter, the coffee and tea program had to deliver. Xu sources both from carefully chosen suppliers.
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The coffee is from a Toronto roaster he visited at the factory before signing on, certified organic, 100 per cent Arabica, he said. The bubble tea uses dairy where some shops reach for powder. Xu personally selects the teas. The Red Bean Jelly Matcha Latte ($5.45 to $6.15) has a mild grassy taste and a layer of red bean jelly at the bottom of the cup.
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Xu’s signature black sugar coffee latte ($5.25 to $6.75) combines espresso and Asian-style brown sugar processed for a stronger molasses note and tapioca pearls.
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“I want people to find it unique,” Xu said. “Most of my customers here, they like that a lot.”
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The drinks menu extends to cheese foam teas, popping boba sparkling juices, fruit yogurt drinks and a strawberry lineup that includes an Einspanner ($7.35 to $8.10), a Viennese coffee topped with thick cold cream.
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In the summer, Xu pulls out a homemade iced coconut hot chocolate, a thick chilled cocoa. A lemon tea also sells out quickly on hot afternoons, he said.
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Xu came to Canada from China for high school in Toronto, met his wife and moved to Ottawa, where he bought a franchise. He grew restless, limited by the contract.
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“I wanted to create something (of) my own,” he said.
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What Xu had in mind was a café where he could experiment and source quality ingredients. Some Coffee & Some Tea was the answer, finished in early 2020 and ready to open.
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“My opening day was (also) lockdown day,” Xu said, able to laugh about it now.
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Facing the closure of his franchise and the pandemic-induced shutdown of his new café, Xu pivoted his business to focus on food delivery. He spent the lockdown period developing a menu tailored to local tastes.
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“I gained 30 pounds after I opened the store. I tried everything myself,” he said. “Number one, your food has to be delicious. As long as people like it, you know, that’s the priority.”
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Xu has done little marketing in six years, relying entirely on word-of-mouth praise passed between office cubicles. As federal return-to-office mandates bring crowds back downtown, the climb up the L’Esplanade Laurier concourse is about to get a lot busier.
