Baton a Manger Brings Chic Parisian Sandwiches to Kaka‘ako

Tomorrow I’ll be strolling the cobblestone streets of a medieval French village in search of a crusty baguette, some ham and a block of salty butter to make myself a jambon beurre. I am finally heading off to live, eat and drink my best life with special people in Europe, but before I go, I made a rendezvous with some friends at Fishcake to try the new French-inspired pop-up aptly named Baton a Manger. I figured I’d go before I really ruin myself.

Photo: Thomas Obungen

Topher Jacob and Courtney Heim, who have been in the café biz (I miss Brue Bar) for the better part of the last decade or more, bring a taste of trendy Paris to our corner of the world in the form of trés chic pastry sandwiches. Baton a Manger, which sounds like a play on the sandwich chain Prêt à Manger, roughly translates to “stick to eat,” and describes the slender profile of their sandwiches that slide perfectly into a skinny macaron box. The bread isn’t a baguette, but rather buttery choux pastry crust moulded with a well to hold various toppings.

Photo: Thomas Obungen

This past weekend, you could choose between three savory options: jambon beurre with Swiss cheese ($18), kim chee kamaboko salad ($20) and a vadouvan curry chicken ($18). The lone sweet version was a spin on turon, banana lumpia. Additionally, Jacob and Heim also have black truffle potato chips, luxe chocolate candy bars and two bottled beverages, all beautifully packaged to go.

Photo: Thomas Obungen

I will admit, leaving Fishcake with a white Baton tote feels like leaving the Hermès boutique with a quota bag: it’s kinda special. My friends and I joked that if we were bag ladies, the Baton bag would be our next “it” bag to carry around town.

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Inspired by famed pastry chef François Perret’s sandwiches at the Ritz Paris Le Comptoir, his bakery café in the esteemed Parisian hotel, Baton are not your average sandwich experience. They look petite, but do not be fooled as they are not easily scarfable. The buttery choux pastry crust flakes into oblivion with each bite, and with it being taco-shaped, you’ll want to eat it over a table with two hands, not in your car over your lap.

Photo: Thomas Obungen

The jambon beurre is an interpretation of the classic French sandwich, only dialed on the luxe scale. The vadouvan chicken curry baton is rich with a subtly sweet French curry flavor over chopped herb-roasted chicken, celery and cranberries. The pieces of slivered almonds and pops of sweet acidic pickled onions help cut the curry’s richness a little bit.

You could share one baton if you want to keep it light. The kim chee kamaboko baton, a Fishcake exclusive because it’s fishcake, hints at Topher and Heim’s goals of branching out to other pop-up spaces in the near future.

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The only change I would make would be to make them h’ors d’oeuvres-sized and create a sample box to try all the fillings. After a while, the curried chicken hits the same notes, so I take my time finishing the sandwich to not overwhelm my palate. Otherwise, the textures and flavors are good and different from what we normally see.

Photo: Thomas Obungen

A combo meal option includes a cello bag of their kettle-cooked truffle French onion potato chips and a choice between their bottled blueberry lemonade or a hibiscus berry tea for $6 more, a savings of $5 versus if purchased a la carte. Jacob’s Dubai chocolate bars with ube coconut or pistachio and kataifi ($15 each), often with samples freely available, are a treat too.

Follow Baton a Manger on Instagram for details of their next pop-up menu and location, which is most likely at Fishcake on Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. They are also working on other pop-up locations.

Select Saturdays, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. (or sold out), 307 Kamani St., @batonamanger