Tani Modi

Once I came here (this was about 10 months ago) and had the most wonderful, flavourful meatball hero that was simply divine. Sadly, since this trip so many months ago, this has never been replicated.
Tani Modi is a cute little sandwich shop/​café famous for its meatball hero. My issue is that this café gets busy at lunchtimes and their ability to cope is evident in the quality of the hero received.
I find that at busy times my hero will be sloppy, cheese not entirely melted and overall is executed in a messy way. Go after lunch and you’ll see the love and care taken to prepare the sandwich that will be well balanced between the bread, meatball and melted cheese. When done well, this sandwich is delicious.
Coffee is ok, and there are some sweet baked treats to get you through the 3pm slump. They also do breakfasts and salads.
Staff are really friendly, there is free WiFi in the basement and ample seating– though it’s usually packed at lunchtime so it might be a struggle to get a table.

Very nice Italiano café. Quite and quick service in in the Friday afternoon. Highly recommend Italiano hot chocolate. btw free WIFI

Awesome little family owned café/​deli tucked in below street level. Great americano, great fresh-​made panini. ok wifi ;~)

This adorbs little undergound Italian deli saved our lives. The boyfriend was incredibly hangry. I was on the verge of a similar emotional hunger meltdown.
We swerved in; bluebear was too far to walk. We were too far gone.
The food is so solid. The staff is super friendly. The ambiance is informal and very italian. The relationship between hungry human and food is very natural. It has an open kitchen, which makes it feel like you’re in an Italian household, being forcefed too much delicious food by someone’s tenacious nona.
Aaaannnddd… there is a ton of gluten free stuff. Their gf cakes are incredible… by any standard.
A hidden gem, if I ever saw one.

Have eaten here twice, once for breakfast and once for lunch. Enjoyed it both times. As of today July 2015, the map location on Unilocal is incorrect.

A great spot that I have made my regular for breakfast most weeks. Lovely no nonsense food and great friendly service.

gah — can’t check in because I am a street away, can’t check in there because it’s underground, and while I am whinging, with a lead roof!
Anyway, my review will stand the test of time and prove that 10mins ago, at 2pm, I bought a panini at Tani Modi. Did you know Tani Modi means Forever?
I really wanted a piada (wrap), but they mainly contained meat, so not for me. Given that am sure the non-​meat options of the world far outweight the meat, it would be nice if cafes gave a better balance, but I digress — I don’t level that at Tani Modi alone. So, I opted for a panini, as it said the magic word ‘artichoke’. I went for a late lunch, so the place was pretty dead by the time I got there, so not sure if there is a lunch time rush that you have to be aware of. The Italian boys behind the counter wouldn’t dissuade you, and are perfectly pleasant, service with a smile!
There was a bit of homebaking out, but it didn’t appeal too much to me, although I did leave with a curious want for a cupcake. The panini itself was light, the artichoke disappeared with the basil, pepper, cheese and olive tapenade and a decent price. It definitely feels like a handy, if slightly tucked away, lunch time café.

Where once there was Paul’s Original Sandwich House (P.O.S.H), now there is Tani Modi, a little Italian deli. Their speciality is piadas, which are the Italian take on the wrap. Fillings are really impressive, with the soft cheese, prosciutto and rocket one that I tried proving to be mighty tasty. Their soup is very good, too.
Overall, we said: «I was really impressed with Tani Modi. It starts its journey at a really high quality level, so I’m optimistic that it can develop into a real favourite. It has some competition, nearby, but I think it’s offering something a little different, so has a good chance to carve out its niche. I’d happily recommend it to you, as a great lunchtime stop.»