Malletti

I met my dad yesterday for lunch, and on the advice of Simon and Tommy, we went and got sandwiches from Malletti, which we sat and ate on a bench in Soho Square, whilst swiping at the encroaching pigeons with our feet.

We both got focaccia sandwiches, which I must say, were really good, if not quite on a par with those of the sadly departed Il Panino. If Il Panino's closure represented the spiritual demise of the Italian Soho sandwich shop to me, Malletti symbolises a resurrection of sorts. Where has Malletti been all my life? Ok Noel Street, same as it always has.

Today I bought another of their focaccias, which I took back to my desk and wolfed down – and you do almost need the assumed powers of some totem beast (a la Bravestarr or The Phantom) – to actually consume one, so densely packed are they with ingredients.

This one was stuffed with mozarella, and eating it my cheeks and chin were soon lashed to the sandwich with tentacles of melted cheese. It felt a bit like a vegetarian version of the infamous 'squid scene' from Oldboy. It was pretty difficult to eat tidily, though I tried to look as inconspicuos as possible to the studio manager sitting directly opposite me, as sundry fillings from my meal made a desperate bid for freedom across the laminate desktop. When she later mentioned that they wouldn't need me the next day however, I couldn't quite quell the nagging suspicion that it was related to my choice of lunch.

No matter, I've found somewhere new to visit for lunch in Soho, and I haven't even got started on the pizzas yet, of which they have an exciting selection. I'll be returning soon.