Japan's viral fried sandwiches have made their way to Sydney

Sydney is increasingly becoming a city of transplants. Food concepts that have made it big, usually in Asia, are constantly opening outposts in the Harbour City to latch onto the city’s fast-moving growth.

The latest: Age 3 (pronounced ah-geh-san), a fried sandwich shop that has already been pulling in massive, block-snaking two-hour queues. The name is a play on the word ageru, which means deep fried in Japanese. “San” means three while also being short of “sando.” Hence, Age 3.

Ultimo is fast becoming a hub for viral casual foods. We know that Bloods Bakery, famous for their ramen egg and cashu pork pie, operates out of an apartment block near Broadway, and the area’s backstreets are packed with the type of shops you’ll find scattered around Shinjuku.

Age 3 is but the latest for the Ultimo’s strong Japanese offering, hinging their entire menu on fried milk bread, or shokupan, cut diagonally and filled like a pita pocket. I guess that’s the best way to describe them: a Japanese pita pocket.

The menu has 32 different types of fried sandwiches to choose from, offering both sweet and savoury options. The plain, custard, chocolate and matcha cream options are typically topped with fresh fruit or biscuits, while the savoury ones like noodles or curry and egg salad taste like something you’d pick up in Family Mart after a big night in Tokyo.

Age 3 began as a modestly sized stall in Fukuoka before expanding to a much more prolific operation in Tokyo’s affluent Ginza neighbourhood. The first international expansion came for Hong Kong and while we’d usually expect Manila and Bangkok to follow, Age 3 took a hard left turn towards Sydney for its next crop of shops.

Japan’s many different unique casual food concepts have made an impact on Sydney’s food scene, particularly around Haymarket and Town Hall with everything from Japanese cheesecakes (Uncle Tetsu’s) to bowls (DOPA by Devon) readily available. Now with Japanese fried sandwiches arriving, Sydney is one step closer to maybe—just maybe—finally getting a tonktasu shop.

To celebrate its first Australian store, the Age 3 kitchen has made a Lamington option available for $11.50.

Sandwiches at Age 3 Sydney start from $3 for the standard whipped cream sandwich and between $9.50 and $12.50 for the more substantial options. The menu is best previewed by jumping on over to the shop’s official Instagram page.

Some of the fried sandwiches at Age 3 include:

Egg + fried noodles
Ganache matcha
Tuna mayonnaise
Cinnamon apple pie
Grilled cheese + smoked salmon
Grilled cheese curry
Mandarin orange
Caramel biscuit
Chocolate cream strawberry
Red bean butter

Age 3

Address: Shop 92/732 Harris St, Ultimo NSW 2007
Opening Hours: Monday – Saturday (7am – 8pm); Sunday (11:30am – 6pm) [sandwiches are only available from 11:30am]