Fried sando shop Age.3 opens at Ion Orchard on Nov 13 with 35 sweet & savoury flavours

Japan-born food brands have been making their way to Singapore, from Tokyo’s O/sio to beef-bowl chain Matsuya. Now, fried-sando shop Age.3 has landed at Ion Orchard.

A play on the Japanese words for deep-fried and sando, it is pronounced “ah-geh-san”.

It first began as a fruit-sandwich shop named Fruits Sand Three in Kama City, Fukuoka. The team began experimenting with fried shokupan, and that led to the opening of Age.3 in Ginza in December 2023. The Tokyo shop soon went viral, drawing queues of up to two hours.

Three years and over one million fried sandos later, Age.3 has international outlets in China, Australia, the Philippines, the UAE, Thailand, Vietnam, and now, Singapore.

Age.3 Singapore is slated to open at Ion Orchard tomorrow (November 13), but HungryGoWhere got a sneak peek of the set-up.

The outlet is mainly set up for takeaway, though a few standing tables are available. It also has an open kitchen, so you can watch your sandos being prepared. 

Be prepared for a slight mess, as the fillings can be tricky to keep in place as you eat.

Age.3 Singapore’s offerings

Age.3’s Singapore outlet offers 35 flavours, with prices from S$4.80. 

The brand prides itself on a special coarse-textured bread, which gives the sandos a unique texture — crisp on the exterior, but soft and chewy within. Each sando is also freshly fried and filled upon order.

There aren’t any Singapore-exclusive flavours, though the menu includes five of the OG store’s bestsellers, including creme brulee, egg salad, and grilled cheese & smoked salmon.

Rounding out Age.3 Singapore’s menu is a range of options using low-sugar, fresh hand-whipped cream, various cream fillings — these run the gamut from cheese, chocolate, pistachio, custard, or matcha — as well as savoury bites that include meat, salad, curry, and even noodle sandos.

There’s even a ketchup spaghetti and egg version!

Brace yourself for a deliciously messy bite

Age.3’s signature and most affordable option is the whipped cream sando (S$4.80), a crispy fried sandwich filled with whipped cream. The bread was crisp without feeling too greasy, while the cream was light and mildly sweet. Even after sitting for a while, the bread stayed crispy.

The cream-based range also includes sandos topped with different fruits and drizzles. Other options include caramel biscuit (S$6.80), chestnut cream (S$12.80), and kuromitsu kinako (S$6.80), which comes with roasted soybean flour and brown sugar syrup.

From the custard cream-based range, we tried the creme brulee (S$7.80), with its top torched to a crisp, caramelised shell. Crack it with a spoon to reach a gooey, creamy custard-whipped cream filling that practically melts in your mouth.

There is just one matcha option on the menu: the ganache matcha (S$7.80). It features matcha cream topped with matcha powder and chocolate pieces. The earthy matcha contrasted nicely with the sweet chocolate, and we especially liked the chocolate topping. 

However, we found ourselves leaning towards the savoury sandos. The fillings paired especially well with the rich, golden-fried bread.

The grilled cheese + smoked salmon (S$9.80) was a standout — and it’s easy to see why it’s one of the brand’s top sellers. The smoked salmon brings a savoury, lightly smoky flavour, while the grilled cheese, avocado, and potato salad add a creamy, hearty contrast.

The Japanese BBQ beef & egg (S$10.80) was another satisfying pick. The beef had a sweet-savoury barbecue flavour, while the egg and potato salad underneath added a softer, creamier contrast.

Other savoury options include the egg salad (S$6.80), another bestseller; grilled keema curry (S$6.80), a spiced minced-meat curry topped with grilled cheese; and yakisoba noodles + egg (S$10.80), with Japanese-style fried noodles and a runny egg. 

You’ll need to top up S$1 for each sando for a takeaway box, though Age.3 waives that if you order three. 

To mark its opening, the brand will be offering S$1 whipped-cream sandos (U.P. S$4.80) for its first 100 customers each day from November 13 to 15.

This was a hosted tasting.

For more on what to eat, check out KFC’s latest collaboration with Marvel, and Joo Chiat’s new hidden cafe in a furniture store, Accompany Coffee.