THE sandwich is probably one of the greatest comfort foods invented by man. No shiny cutlery, no elaborate culinary rituals to go with it and most importantly, no fuss. Just take two slices of bread, a decent filling and ... down the hatch! Not to say that I'm against haute cuisine, but there are many times when one desires simplicity and the minimum amount of time to put together a meal. The sandwich qualifies on both these counts.

To paint in broad strokes, even the infamous burgers and bun kebabs fall within the category of sandwiches. But since we have already extensively written on these two savoury delights, we shall focus on the other types of sandwiches commonly floating around the eateries of Karachi, also leaving out the sandwiches available in bakeries, because that base has also been covered.

Perhaps the most widely available type of sandwich in the metropolis is the club sandwich. Varieties vary wildly from the soggy and thoroughly unpalatable to the crisp and delectable. Most places serve up club sandwiches ranking somewhere in between. As with many fast foods available in the globalised world, the club sandwich has its roots in the United States of America. In its most basic form served in Pakistan, it consists of three slices of (usually) toasted bread, with a filling of diced chicken, fried egg, cheese, mayonnaise, tomatoes and cucumber, with a few places throwing in a leaf of lettuce or two.

Though I have been devouring club sandwiches for donkey's years, I recently decided to sample two different, mid-range (price-wise) eateries just to get an idea of what was going around in the market. The first was a joint near the Boating Basin in Clifton, better known for its broasted chicken; the other was a popular eatery in the very crowded commercial area of Mohammad Ali Society.

The Boating Basin experience was delightful. A friend and I ordered the sandwich for lunch and we were not disappointed. The chicken was lightly spiced and had a flavourful, tangy kick, while the bread was toasted to perfection. The side of coleslaw was okay, while the fries were quite below average, as they are in most eateries in the city. Doused in ketchup and downed with orange soda, the sandwich made for a tasty lunch.

However, at dinner a few days later in Mohammad Ali Society, one experienced how easy it is to screw up royally on the club sandwich. It was a damp, soggy encounter with cold bread, a bland filling and half-raw French fries. If it hadn't been for the few morsels of chicken chilli with rice I took the liberty of scooping up from a friend's plate, I would have had a completely tasteless dinner that night.

A friend swears that the club sandwich served up by an outlet known for its luscious (and expensive!) Italian ice cream is the best in Karachi. A man of his word, I, for one, believe him, though I have never tried it myself.

Sadly, there is little variety when it comes to sandwiches in Karachi, as apart from pricey boutique eateries, the options are limited. One notable exception is an American franchise that serves up to one-foot-long sandwiches in a variety of breads as well as toppings. Suffice to say, the stuff is mouth-watering, but since franchises and other big-shot eateries fall outside Kolachi Cuisine's area of operation, we'll leave it at that.

But why leave it to others? What I mean to say is that in my limited experience wandering the ends of the earth in search of the perfect meal, I have found that more often than not, the best sandwiches are the ones made at home.

Not to toot my own horn, but I myself have come up with some very, very interesting creations out of leftovers. Keema in between two slices of toasted white bread or last night's sabzi sandwiched in between two layers of whole grain bread - garnished with condiments of choice - can be a knockout that can beat the stuff churned out by high-priced eateries any day of the week.

If you want to get creative, try using chicken breast, fish fingers, salami or other such meats as filling. If you are not big on meat, aloo bhurta, curried carrots and peas as well as cucumber or lettuce smothered in mayonnaise can be alternative fillings. You'll be surprised at how good channay ki daal tastes in a sandwich. It is highly recommended.

Of course my personal favourite is plain fried egg or omelette (with plenty of onions and a dash of red chilli) sandwich, again flavoured with a bit of ketchup, hot sauce or mayo, depending on taste. This might not be the healthiest sandwich in the world, but it sure is tasty!

qasim.a.moini@dawn.com