Korio: Cult-favourite sandwich shop reopens at Downtown, boasts new sammies and donuts

When cult-favourite sandwich specialist Korio shuttered its doors at Far East Square last December, fans of the brand were disappointed — us included, especially since we hadn’t had a chance to try its highly raved-about sandwiches before it closed. 

Shortly after its closure, Korio hosted a recent three-week pop-up at Here Kitty Kitty — in collaboration with Zouk Group’s culinary chief officer, Lorenz Hoja — from May to June this year. 

However, its return was short-lived and saw a curated menu of two- to three-course sets of a starter, main and dessert. 

After its overwhelming success at the pop-up, Korio’s founders, Myron and Shaz Tan, decided to team up with Zouk Group (the team had fallen in love with Korio’s sammies, too), relaunch the brand and bring back its fan-favourite sandwiches — this time, at a permanent store. 

For those who’ve sorely missed Korio’s loaded sandwiches, the sandwich parlour is finally back in business! Set to launch on December 11, its new store is nestled right in the heart of the Central Business District (near Downtown MRT) at IOI Central Boulevard.

A chic new home

Being located in a prime, bustling spot near Downtown MRT makes Korio’s new outlet incredibly accessible to get to. And with a plethora of surrounding office buildings in the district, this means a significantly larger volume of customers for the brand. 

And while Korio’s old home at Far East Square was a small, takeaway-only store, its new space spans over 600 square feet with dine-in seats. Grab its sandwiches to go, or have them hot and freshly grilled on the spot.

Sandwiches galore

The menu at Korio’s upcoming store also sees the return of its signature sandwiches (the brand’s claim to fame), such as its all-time favourite Caprese grilled cheese (S$15) and the comforting breakfast sandwich (S$14). 

It’s not just classics on the menu, though. With its new space, also comes an expanded range of sandwich varieties, sides, and even Brooklyn-inspired donuts.

Among the donuts, a couple of highlights that caught our eye are the sweet cinnamon sugar and whipped honey butter (S$5.50), as well as the tangy cinnamon apple jam and earl grey almond butter donuts (S$5.50).

Our favourites on Korio’s menu 

The first sandwich that we were dying to try was Korio’s legendary, classic breakfast sandwich (S$14) — and it seemed like everyone at the store was, too. It’s a delightful, chunky treat touting well-toasted brioche bread slapped with meaty slices of crispy luncheon and cheddar cheese. 

Also slathered all over the toast was gribiche (cold egg sauce) — a creamy, fragrant dip with pronounced notes of caper, mustard and herbs. It had a good balance of zest and sweetness, which complemented the savouriness of the protein nicely.

The Chook (S$17), another signature on the menu, is a seriously stacked sandwich loaded with a ton of ingredients. Just one bite in and fillings ooze from every crevice. Not that we minded it, though — we’d take an ooey-gooey, hearty sandwich any day. 

It’s not your run-of-the-mill chicken sandwich, but rather a spruced-up version with fresh chunks of avocado, brie, provolone cheese, and a silky hot sauce atop sourdough bread (that had a crisp texture and just the right amount of chew).

While we aren’t the biggest fan of pickles in our sandwiches, Korio’s mortadella and pickles sandwich (S$15.50) have made us a convert.

Grilled, succulent slices of mortadella, provolone and juicy housemade pickles are stuffed into a fluffy potato roll bun, all of which make up a loaded sammie that’s wholly substantial enough for a full meal. Then, tying it all together is a mustard mayo sauce that you just can’t go wrong with.

We’d expected the pickles to have an overwhelming, salty-sour flavour, but instead, had a tangy, mildly sweet profile that brought out the savoury richness of the mortadella slices.

The oh-so-indulgent chocolate ganache donut with praline and malt powder (S$5.80) is a heavenly treat that’s every chocolate lover’s dream. It’s chock-full of silky chocolate ganache that oozes with every bite, then dusted with malt powder so you get a mouthful of mouthwatering chocolate flavour. 

With so many hits on the menu, Korio is easily our favourite sandwich store to date. And if you haven’t tried its fare yet, it’s high time that you make your way to its new outlet when it opens — best believe its sandwiches won’t disappoint.

This was an invited tasting.

For the latest eats, read about new Japanese-inspired spot Nibbies Cafe, and Duxton’s latest restaurant by a Michelin-starred Norwegian chef, Dill. Alternatively, check out the newest openings in Singapore here. 

Enjoy up to 50% off when you dine with GrabFood Dine Out.

You can also book a ride to Korio to try its signature sandwiches.