Sunday’s Grocery

This neighborhood haunt is a the place to get sandwiches in Kennedy Town. After working my way through their menu at least twice, I still can’t pick a favorite. The only thing better than their food is the service. While there’s no seating inside, there are parks and seating along the waters edge just two blocks away.

I glibly referred to Sunday’s as the North American Embassy as I entered the closet of a showroom and kitchen and was met with Americans and Canadians milling about and chatting excitedly as they awaited their food. Sunday’s is mostly a casual, come as you are sandwich and snack outpost, the grocery referring to a small collection of knick knacks and a very pricey collection of Japanese whiskies. The collection is impressive and anyone who loves Nikka and Suntory products would be well advised to at least ogle over their inventory, but as demand has soared, Sunday’s staff admits so too have their prices. Since they don’t mix drinks – think of Sunday’s more like an upscale bodega or a liquor store with an amazing kitchen – this is not the place to ‘try’ a Hibiki or Yamazaki. (You can go to sibling establishments Ronin and Yardbird for that.)
Instead, Sunday’s is the place to grab a fun, fusion bite and perhaps a snack. Maybe a beer too, since apparently open container laws are not really thing in Hong Kong so crack that brew open and sit at the nearby waterfront with your Katsu sandwich. It’s messy, it’s delicious, it’s inauthentic but no one claimed this was mastered Japanese cuisine. The Katsu sandwich for example seems to riff of Hong Kong traditions, western sensibilities, alongside the familiar Japanese standards. The result is fun. If you keep away from Sunday’s immense liquor stash, you’ll find the prices are fair, the food is distinct, smile-​inducing and original, and the staff is gracious. All great reasons to make the trip to Kennedy Town and make Sunday’s fried chicken and sandwiches a regular part of your Hong Kong restaurant rotation.

Sunday’s Grocery is the bee’s knees. The cat’s pajamas. The cream of the crop. So I must issue you a fair warning: if you’re coming to visit me in HK, I will take you here… and you will love it!
Sandwiches are my jam. Nothing beats the famous portable meal comprised of two perfectly toasted pieces of bread cradling a harmonious marriage of your favorite savory ingredients. Sandwiches allow you to multi-​task, if you wish. They’re usually a cost-​effective way to get your nutrients and quell your belly’s hunger pains, and they’re also deliciously casual. Seriously — not many food items get me the way a sandwich does!
Coming from the land of the holy grail sandwich (that would be Ike’s in San Francisco), of course I was worried that I may not meet a sandwich that would truly make the grade in HK. And then we had dinner at the most amazing Yardbird (review forthcoming) and the servers recommended we check out their concept Sunday’s Grocery for a more casual experience next. Did someone say sandwich?
So coincidentally on Sunday afternoon, we took the MTR to the shiny new Kennedy Town stop and found our way to the bodega-​inspired Sunday’s Grocery. I was prepared for the offerings as I had studied the menu in advance like a good student, and I opted for the falafel while my friend ordered the chicken schnitzel. Then, for our drinks: ah, the delight to discover they stock several varieties of Hitachino beer! They were out of the white ale, but it gave us a good excuse to try the Weizen which we thoroughly enjoyed… on the sidewalk outside atop some milk crates.
If that’s not a hipster thing to do at a very hipster sandwich shop, I don’t know what is! The rest of the story included us enjoying beautifully-​crafted sandwiches from start to finish, lazily throwing back a couple of Hitachinos, and making friends with one local, two expats from SF, and a huge, fluffy Euraiser dog on the sidewalk. A colorful scene, for sure.
So go eat amazing f@#$%^& sandwiches, drink beers or whiskey on milk crates, and meet some of the coolest cats in HK. Just save a milk crate for me, okay?

Finally, a decent sandwich in HK that could even compete with a proper American deli style sub/​hoagie/​grinder.
I spent about 10minutes deciding between the limited menu items as they all sounded so good and have been so highly recommended. I ultimately decided on the chicken Schnitzel. The chicken was deliciously juicy and tender, and well dressed with lettuce, tomato and «tahini kewpie mayo» (although I added a bit of hot sauce for some extra kick).
Now, the difficultly will be on my next visit and deciding to try something new or stick with the same tried and true (or both as I could easy put down two of these).

Being in Kennedy Town it’s a bit out of the way, but the MTR finally built in the stops for the blue line!
Featuring a lot of merch and products that they offer at Yardbird back in Sheung Wan. In similarity they friendly knowledgeable staff that’ll gladly help you out. They offer an impressive selection of spirits, craft beer, specialty sochu sake and of course sandwiches. It carries a lot of it’s sister establishments reputation.
Pork Katsu Sandwich: Everything you expect for a good hunk of katsu, rich and juicy, just enough sauce to accent the flavor. Its a bit compact but packs big flavor. A must recommend.
Chicken Schnitzel: Rich and savory, highly recommended by the house staff as being one of the more popular items. Another compact case, but a bit of a gut buster.
Market Chips: These aren’t your run of the mill potatoes, they’re root vegetables lightly caramelized with black sugar. Sounds good? They are. Slightly crisp, slightly chewy and not to sweet.

Whoa! I love that this place is in my neighbourhood, just a few blocks away… With what I thought was just going to be a liquor store turned out to be an amazing «bodega» concept offering growlers of beer or wine (yes, wine on tap, please!) as well as an awesome selection of Japanese whiskies, beers and Sake. Not to mention the sandwiches and fried chicken available for a snack on your way home. Met Elliot, who explained the concept for putting Kennedy Town on the map (from the guys behind Yardbird and RŌNIN, so there is a Japanese air to the product selection). These guys also stock real Huy Fong Sriacha from California.