Jack Marzoni’s Review: New Muslim-Owned Sandwich Cafe With Nett Prices In Bugis

Jack Marzoni’s is a Muslim-friendly sandwich cafe in Bugis

Bugis is brimming with Muslim-friendly food places: you can find teh tarik speciality cafe Tarik at Bali Lane, Frites for their loaded fries and many more. Another new addition to the neighbourhood is Jack Marzoni’s, a Muslim-owned cafe specialising in loaded sandwiches at affordable prices.

Food at Jack Marzoni’s

You get to pick from 10 sandwich flavours on their menu, all under $18. Prices are nett, too!

For their sandwiches, Jack Marzoni’s uses ciabatta bread that’s sourced from an external supplier. The ingredients are fired up only upon order, so your sammies arrive piping hot, but that also means you have to be prepared to wait longer during peak hours.

Their best-selling sandwich is Cheeky Tongue ($16.90), comprising braised beef tongue and cheek with kombu butter, seared tomatoes, pickled salad, fried shallots, mozzarella, and kerisik cream cheese. For those who are unaware, kerisik is grated coconut that’s been fried and pounded to a paste-like consistency.

I enjoyed the pulled beef cheek as the meat was tender, juicy, and packed with flavour. Paired with the acidity from the pickled salad, and the toasted ciabatta that soaked up all the zhup, this was a winning combination.

Unfortunately, I found the huge slab of beef tongue too tough and chewy for my liking—the sandwich would have worked better without it. Nonetheless, the other ingredients went well together and I appreciated the subtle toastiness from the kerisik-spiked cream cheese.

Those who prefer a chicken sammie can try the Ayam “Ter” Bakar ($12.90) instead. Inspired by the popular Indonesian charcoal grilled chicken dish, this number came packed with seared dark sauce chicken breast, turkey bacon, sambal belacan mango chimichurri, pickled salad, cheddar scrambled egg, and cream cheese.

The chicken chunks were surprisingly tender despite them being from the breast cut, while the scrambled egg added a nice layer of creaminess that contrasted well against the grilled bread. I was hoping to taste more of the sambal belacan mango chimichurri, though—I think the sweetness from the dark sauce-marinated meat overshadowed everything else.

Veggie lovers are not left out here either! There’s the Burrrrr ($13.90): burrata, kombu butter, cream cheese, sauteed bell peppers and peach, pickled salad, smashed hashbrowns, and tomato basil sauce.

Adding hashbrowns was a clever idea, as the crispy fried potato bits were a lovely textural contrast against the softer components of the sandwich. I did wish the bell pepper and peach mixture was more charred to stand up against the rich and creamy burrata, as some of their flavours got lost here. Nonetheless, it’s still a delicious vegetarian sandwich on days when you want something lighter yet satisfying.

Their Dough Balls ($8), served with Butterscotch Date Sauce, sounded like an enticing way to end our meal.

While I loved the smooth and not-too-sweet butterscotch sauce, the fried dough balls were unfortunately too dense and doughy. Perhaps a lighter and fluffier batter would have worked better, especially since the sandwiches were all rather hearty and heavy on the palate.

The Matcha Milkshake ($7) proved to be a better way to round up our experience, albeit a little too sweet for my liking. Take note that this tasted somewhat like Thai green milk tea, but in ice-blended form, so if you were expecting authentic matcha here, you’d be disappointed.

There’s also the Iced Charcoal Vanilla Latte ($7.50) if you’d like a caffeinated pick-me-up. We liked the faint vanilla fragrance and mild sweetness of our brew but thought the coffee was a tad diluted.

Each cup of coffee is prepared with a moka pot, so you might have to wait for your order.

Ambience at Jack Marzoni’s

Jack Marzoni’s sports a hip look with fun and colourful posters overlapping on both walls. Though not the most spacious—the cafe sits around 16 diners—we didn’t feel cramped or uncomfortable during our meal as the tables were not packed too closely. It’s not a place to hang around for many hours though; the kitchen is open-concept, so the smell of the grease might bother you after a while.

The cafe is a nine-minute walk from Jalan Besar or Bugis MRT Station.

The verdict

Although there were several notable misses, Jack Marzoni’s is still worth checking out for their wallet-friendly sandwiches that come in generous portions. Plus, their cute interiors and relaxed vibes make this spot gram-worthy. Just remember to tuck into your sandwiches while they’re still hot to enjoy them at their best state!

For more cafes around the area to visit, read our guide to the best Bugis cafes! Otherwise, for legit banh mi and pho in town, check out our Signs A Taste Of Vietnam Pho review.

Address: 7 Jalan Pisang, Singapore 199074
Opening hours: Tue-Sun 11am to 9pm
Tel: 8081 4220
Website
Jack Marzoni’s is a Muslim-owned eatery.

Photos taken by Paula Grace.
This was an independent review by Eatbook.sg.