Between Buns Deli: From home-based biz to groovy CBD sandwich deli, with dreams of being “the next McDonald’s”
Where do you go if you’re craving a hearty, loaded American-style sandwich in Singapore’s CBD?
A decade ago, the answer would have been Park Bench Deli, but alas, the Telok Ayer sandwich hotspot shuttered in 2023. (It held a pop-up in Dempsey, though.)
Thankfully, someone has filled that niche, recently: Between Buns Deli, a new deli that just opened in April.
Between Buns Deli is located in the CBD, right at the entrance of SBF Centre at Robinson Road.
This new opening is quite unlike most other restaurants in Singapore.
You can say the decor is rather groovy or even “Zillennial-core”, as its walls come coated in striking pastel yellows, while the signs and branding borrow heavily from New York’s iconic bodegas.
There’s just a very fun vibe to it all, with a retro flair that would appeal to many young adults, bolstered by an esoteric suite of artwork littered all around the shop.
More importantly, it’s the food offerings here that attract the crowds — and you have the chef-owner, 31 year-old Ahmir Arshad, to thank for those tantalising bun-based creations.
Home-based business after returning from Australia
While Between Buns Deli is a new concept, the “Between Buns” brand actually holds a lot more sway among the discerning foodies on this Little Red Dot.
What is now a CBD deli actually started off as a humble home-based business, which Ahmir started in 2020, after returning from Australia.
The culinary arts were always his calling in life, as Ahmir noted: “I always liked being around the kitchen, where my grandmother used to cook.”
“One of my uncles was a chef, and I was impressed by how he always had extra food to bring back home,” he adds. As far as raison detre’s go, this is a cute and earnest one, to be sure!
Life also dealt him a setback in school, when he failed Math at his GCE “O” Levels — though, this led to him to pursuing the culinary world.
However, he didn’t really know what direction he wanted to steer his culinary journey towards.
That was until Ahmir headed to Down Under to work as a chef at Sunda, a now-defunct modern Southeast Asian restaurant in Melbourne.
The Victoria state capital has a flourishing sandwich-deli niche, with big names such as Hector’s Deli and Nico’s Sandwich Deli capturing the hearts and stomachs of countless Melbournians.
It helped unearth a passion for sandwiches he never knew existed, resulting in his specialisation today.
When he came back to Singapore during the Covid-19 pandemic, and couldn’t find employment, Ahmir decided to open a home-based business.
That was the birth of Between Buns, the home-based predecessor to the current deli.
Mum’s nagging and pop-ups
So what actually goes in between the buns?
Between Buns is about adding a personal touch into modern sandwiches — that includes everything Amir’s eaten and enjoyed over the years, and Indian flavours from home.
The home-based business was actually an instant success that trended on social media.
“For my first drop, I only made around twenty burgers just for my friends. But they posted it on Instagram and random strangers started to ask how and where they could order it,” he recalls.
“For my second drop, I increased the amount to sixty, and these were snatched up in three minutes. I was like ‘Wah!’.”
Funnily enough, when demand for Between Buns intensified, and orders were piling up, Ahmir’s mother started nagging at him.
One of Between Buns’ signature items was a fried chicken sandwich, which meant there was a lot of messy deep-frying going down in the kitchen.
Hoping to appease his mother, Ahmir started reaching out to brands that resonated with him, to collaborate through pop-ups (and borrow their kitchens!) — including Two Men Bagel House, Motherdough, and Maxi Coffee Bar.
Not only did Between Buns accrue plenty of fans through these pop-ups, it also earned Ahmir a job. The folks from Maxi Coffee Bar brought him aboard to helm the kitchen at their new concept, Wildcard, in 2023.
That was where he reconnected with Between Buns Deli’s other co-owner, Goh Tong Hann, whom he had briefly worked with before.
Tong (as he is most commonly known) is a restaurateur who heads up the Pleasure Craft Group, which boasts a portfolio of popular restaurants such as Maggie’s at Keong Saik.
He recognised Ahmir’s zeal for sandwiches, and wanted to support his dream.
“It’s been my dream to open this, since six years ago. But when we decided to team up, we didn’t actually know where we were going to open it,” Ahmir says.
There were talks of opening in a more hip location and making Between Buns Deli a “destination spot”, but they eventually chanced upon the current CBD unit.
So, you could say “being nagged out of his house by his mother” (as Ahmir jokingly put it) tipped that first domino that led him to where he is today.
“We want to be the next McDonald’s”
What’s the endgame for Between Buns Deli, though?
Ahmir proclaims, half-laughing: “Something Tong and I have always talked about is scaling. We want to be the next McDonald’s!”
While we understand Ahmir’s drive for mainstream success, we also see Between Buns Deli as a spot with plenty of third-space potential.
One thing that we admire about it is the branding and decor, which announces itself with vibrance and youthful energy.
Besides the exuberant colour palette, the branding comes with bold and quirky fonts, and the fixtures tilt a half-nod to retro sandwich delis, while keeping things fresh and modern.
This is all very intentional, as Ahmir says most of the design is done by Tong, who is also the mastermind behind the striking visuals of the Pleasure Craft Group’s other concepts.
In fact, there’s a wall of paintings right beside the counter, which Ahmir tells us are mostly done by Tong himself.
That personal edge is something that helps Between Buns Deli stand out from other spots — in an age where every other cafe dons a burnt-orange minimalist aesthetic, or leans into understated Japandi sensibilities.
We remarked how personable the space feels, and the co-founder agrees: “To me, it’s a platform for us to show our personality through the food and interior.”
That extends to kitchen operations, where you’d regularly see the chef-owner behind the counter, despite having a decently sized team to support him.
“I think I’m born to cook! Everybody needs to have their own craft and this is mine,” he says. “I actually like it the most when I am the one doing the cooking, as it’s something I can share with people.”
Between Buns Deli has already drawn in a huge crowd, in its first week of operations since soft-opening on April 15.
And that all plays into Ahmir’s goal. When we asked him what he enjoys most about running his own business, he jokes: “I like to see the long queues and feel good about it!”
But on a more serious note, he notes that one good thing about running his own business is the human element, in that he now gets instant in-person feedback.
The buns of Between Buns Deli
Do the Between Buns Deli offerings live up to the hype?
Having ordered from his home-based business before, we know Ahmir does some good stuff — but does it translate to his new physical store?
First, we try something from the breakfast (9am to 11am) section of the menu: A chicken sausage & egg muffin (S$13).
If the goal is McDonald’s, Between Buns Deli’s spin on the iconic breakfast sandwich nails it.
This is essentially the elevated, “bougie” (luxurious) cousin to the McMuffin, with a juicier chicken sausage that carries a meatier bite, a moreish fermented chilli mayo, and fluffier English muffin buns, while silky omelette slices replace the usual egg.
Arugula slices also add a nice bit of earthy contrast.
It’s like a cousin that went to study in Europe and came back with an acquired elegance and greater worldly experience, but still stays down-to-earth.
The breakfast menu also includes a very unique egg bhurgee wrap (S$12) — Ahmir’s attempt at blending Indian flavours into a popular, western-style breakfast item.
Its star ingredient is the egg bhurgee, an Indian-spiced scrambled egg, which goes so nicely with avocado and hashbrowns.
While it incorporates more spice, it doesn’t really overpower its fellow ingredients, just enlivening the ensemble with a pinch of aromatics.
Ultimately, it’s Between Buns’ version of a breakfast wrap that’s still light, but not greasy, making it a great mode of morning fuel.
As for the heavier, bigger lunch items, Ahmir implored us to try the French dip (S$20) instead of Between Buns Deli’s signature fried chicken (S$16).
We could understand why: The mix of beef, caramelised onions, and roasted peppers was scandalously flavourful and juicy.
The sweetness of the caramelised onions and roasted peppers blended so nicely into the beef, and everything is nicely complimented by the lusty umami of the dip.
On top of that, we loved how crunchy the hoagie rolls were!
For something that’s just as whimsical as Ahmir and the Between Buns Deli decor, don’t miss out on the aptly named double chip cookie (S$5.50).
No, it’s not double-chocolate chip, like what Subway sells. Rather, you have Ruffles potato chips to pair with the base chocolate chips!
And surprisingly, it works well — it adds that layer of salinity that’s usually provided by the sea salt, and also adds an airy crunch to the chewy cookie!
Between Buns opens officially May 4, although it’s currently in its soft-opening phase.
Truth be told, we suspect you won’t find many other good sandwich delis in the CBD like this, so it’s worth visiting — and be sure to chat with Ahmir!
We say: Come for the food, stay for the people.
This was a hosted tasting.
For more ideas on what to eat, read our stories on this cafe serving up Italian fare under an HDB block, or this new onigiri concept at Fortune Centre with over 20 filling choices!
Tue 9am - 4pm
Wed 9am - 4pm
Thu 9am - 4pm
Fri 9am - 4pm
- Tanjong Pagar
- Shenton Way
Evan started off writing about food on Instagram, before joining outlets such as Buro and Confirm Good to pursue his passion. His best work usually comes after his first whisky shot in the morning.
Read more stories from this writer.
