(cityweekend)
Updated: 2007-05-11 09:19

While Assagi has yet to emerge from the ashes of its remodeling, it's spin-off sandwich cafe next door is now open for business.

The breezy, minimalist cafe is nice and simple, with comfy chairs in a bright and open space. Sandwiches predominate the menu with a few salad and dessert options mixed in. The terralova sandwich of bologna sausage, brie cheese and mustard sauce (28yuan) was disappointing. The "sausage" turned out to be bad processed meat (think spam), and the brie hardly showed at all. The salamino burchetta (28yuan) was crispy and tasty, but the tiny portion was more akin to an entree then a main. To fill our still gnawing stomachs, the tiramisu (25yuan) was a fine option, perhaps the best part of the meal.

The cafe latte (25yuan) was marvelously tall, unfortunately all froth and no substance-the beans were considerably watered down. The white and red wines, (27-40yuan by the glass or 125-280yuan by the bottle), are a better bet. While the food is undeniably fresh, well presented and of superior quality, it's just not that filling. So if you plan on coming here for a repast, make sure you save time to hop next door to Jenny Lou's to get the rest of your meal.

Panino Teca
Tel: 010-8454-1797
Address:1 Sanlitun Beixiaojie