Melbourne's top 10 sandwiches

Raise a salute to the great Earl of Sandwich folks. A poker addict, sure, but his demands that his meals be conveniently shoved into a loaf makes him a downright legend in our eyes. In his honour, we've rounded up Melbourne's most suitably addictive sangas.

Meatball sandwich at Earl Canteen

The newest star of the Earl "sandwich HQ" Canteen menu is the meatball sandwich.  Fat, juicy meatballs of veal and porcini are teamed with deep fried onion rings, smothered in a three-cheese sauce and encased in a crusty Dench baguette. Or if you prefer your food without faces, get amongst the field mushroom number, daubed with goats curd, pesto and a crunch of chestnuts and rocket. Either way, it's double-handed dude food, and it's ace. $12.50.

Banh Mi at N. Lee

The best place to get on board the banh mi band wagon is at N. Lee. This no-nonsense Vietnamese sandwich shop does a truly great take on the banh mi, the classic combination of French and Vietnamese cuisine. The filling is your standard meaty pork cold cuts and pork-liver pate tempered by the crunch and clean, fresh flavours of shredded carrots, onions, chillies and coriander; but the baguette. Crisp of shell and fluffier than a shih tzu this is the most nutritionally depraved and perfect hunk of bread you'll ever face. $6.

Po Boy at My Mexican Cousin

Hailing from Louisiana, the Po Boy is a classic American sandwich and My Mexican Cousin’s version is the business. It’s made from juicy, fat, deep fried prawns seeking harbour amidst crisp cos lettuce leaves on a dense bun which drips with mayonnaise and creole seasoning. Melbourne Recital Centre. $14.

Chicken sandwich at Nineteen Squares

Nineteen Squares is a tiny cafe but it makes one big sandwich. Known as the “world famous” chicken sandwich we reckon it actually could take the title for sheer heft. Slapped on thick Baker D Chirico sourdough, it features good quality poached chicken and rocket all held together with mashed avocado and lashings of house made aioli. $9.50.

Breakfast sandwich at Fugazza

If you’re the kind of cat who considers cream an essential ingredient in your scrambled egg-mushroom-spinach portable breakfast, and you like it grilled not ironed, you and Fugazza will get along just fine. Add on $2.50 coffee, for the win. $8.90.

Pork belly sandwich at Martha Ray’s

The pork belly sandwich at Brunswick Street newcomer Martha Ray’s is the roast you wish your mum cooked, in sandwich form. The pork is slow cooked resulting in tender meat and crackling with some serious snap, crackle and pop. The meat is teamed with a slaw of cabbage, apple and parsley and swaddled in a soft baguette. Welcome to boomtown. $13.

Salmon sandwich at SMXL

One of the original posh sandwich joints in the city, SMXL makes its sandwiches with top quality ingredients. The salmon sandwich is a decadent combination of fresh poached Atlantic salmon and julienned snowpeas dressed with sweet chilli sauce, served up on bouncy Baker D Chirico bread. $9.20.

Reuben sandwich at Beatrix

The sandwiches on offer at Beatrix change daily but if you can catch it, Beatrix’s take on the classic Reuben is a ripper. It’s called the Rachael and is made with a hunk of corned beef (from the tender haunch of a Warialda Belted Galloway), gooey melted fresh pecorino and mustardy slaw. $12.50.

Toasted tuna sandwich at Café Vue

Cafe Vue has transformed the humble toasty with its toasted tuna sandwich. The sandwich is filled with tuna, egg and mayonnaise. But it is the sourdough olive bread, custom made for Cafe Vue, that makes what could be a fairly pedestrian combination really pop. $13.

Roast chicken sandwich at Threefold

They do three cold and three toastie numbers here, but we say bee-line straight for any version of roasted chicken they have going. They serve their bird still slightly warm from the oven and cosseted in a dense bun. You may get a schmear of broad bean paste, or it could be an olive tapenade day – either way, you win. $12.50.