Review: Ruby and Rach, David Jones Food Hall, Sydney

I love a good Reuben sandwich, and one of my life’s ambitions is to visit Katz Deli in New York City for their famous signature Reuben. Seriously, look at it. It’s a monster. I can’t wait! In the meantime, I was happy to make do with a Reuben from Ruby & Rach in the David Jones Food Hall.

When a Daily Deal offer came up for two sandwiches and two sodas for $20 from Ruby & Rach (essentially half price!) popped up in my inbox, I bought it without even second-guessing. We all like to save money every now and again – and for me, this is even more the case when I get to save money somewhere that I was planning on going anyway.

Formerly located in David Jones Food Hall on Elizabeth St in Sydney CBD (now only trading in markets around Sydney – check their Facebook page for more information on where they’ll be each week), Ruby & Rach was a simple deli counter where you could order a few different types of sandwiches, sides, and drinks. It was very popular with office workers during the week for a grab-and-go lunch, but very quiet on the weekend that we went when we were running errands in the city.

My classic Reuben sandwich was the perfect size for lunch – while I was left satiated, I wasn’t left full to bursting. It was absolutely loaded with sauerkraut which I enjoyed as I love pickled vegetables, though K found it a bit too overwhelming when he tried it. I would have possibly preferred more corned beef, but on the whole, it was a really good sandwich.

K was a much bigger fan of his Rachel sandwich, as the house slaw gave a crunchier and more interesting texture to the sandwich when compared to the sauerkraut of the Reuben. The Swiss cheese was also a lot more noticeable and prominent in this sandwich as it wasn’t overpowered by pickled vegetables, making it a much more well-rounded option.

The two sodas we ordered were made locally in country New South Wales (in Mudgee). I preferred K’s raspberry soda to my grape soda, finding it much sweeter and less tart in the aftertaste.

It’s the little things that stood out to me about Ruby & Rach – like how they buttered both sides of the bread before they toasted it, so that it’s that much more tasty and toasted. Little things like that, which can make a big difference.

It’ll be interesting to see if they can maintain this level of detail in their market stalls, or whether the standard slips a bit now that they don’t have a permanent base in the David Jones Food Hall. I’ll have to go along and try it out soon!