‘Is it worth the hype? Absolutely’
19:32, 17 Dec 2025Updated 19:44, 17 Dec 2025
Matthew Binge – aka foodreviewclub – at Tongue Tied at the Black Market(Image: foodreviewclub / TikTok)
If you’re looking for good grub on Leeside – there’s no shortage of great options for a whole range of foods, from authentic pizzas and pasta carabonaras to acclaimed noodles and sushi.
And while there’s also plenty of great spots for a sambo – according to hit UK food reviewer Matthew Binge, Cork city‘s best sandwich may well be found at Tongue Tied in the Black Market. Matthew runs the foodreviewclub channels on social media, and boasts almost 1m followers and 15.7m likes on TikTok alone.
The well-known sambo and hot sauce biz Tongue Tied, run by Irish-Italian brothers, Felix and Alex Castaldo, is a go-to food spot in the city. The duo rose to popularity after they started selling their signature sauces at the Marina Market in 2023, and the following year, they opened up a stall at the Black Market off the Monahan road. When Matthew arrived on Leeside, it didn’t take long before he caught wind of their grub’s great reputation.
He called over and met owner Alex Castaldo to sample what he was told “might be the best sandwich in Cork city” – and he didn’t leave disappointed. Matthew tried two of their customer favourites, starting with the Chicken Parma – made with sesame and panko chicken, mozzarella, red pepper, pesto, basil leaves and parmesan.
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He sized the sandwich up before tucking in, saying: “We’ve got toasted foccacia, which is really soft on the inside with that outer crust that’s been toasted up. Double chicken which you can see is juicy there.” And from his first bite, Matthew was hooked: “Oh my god, so much crunch… So much depth to it. Chicken is so moist, very well balanced, it’s just a pleasure to eat. Look, not messy at all, isn’t all falling out the sides. I don’t need a shower.”
Next he moved onto the Bada Bing, which owner Alex described as the “sandwich that started it all”, adding: “First day we opened, we had it, tests I’d say like two or three weeks before opening, and we were like ‘That’s it. We hit the nail on the head with this one.'” And it’s clear Matthew agreed, summing up his review for that sambo with just one word: “Unbelievable.”
Finally, he moved on to his overall review, joking at first: “Don’t think we’ve ever done a score in front of the owner before.”
He added: “It’s effectively flawless. Very very articulate on the tongue, gentle, balanced, got lovely flavours from their sauces, they obviously know what they’re doing. It just tastes beautiful, like a symphony. The bread is an absolute gamechanger, the ways it’s toasted up gives that bit of crunch, bit of texture, bit of structure, for that beautiful filling to sing its wonderful tune. 9.7 out of ten. Is it worth the hype? Absolutely.”
In recent weeks, the Tongue Tied duo started selling sambos from their first location in the city centre as they took over the lunch-time trade at popular bar O’Sho. Now, they serve their signature sandwiches there from 11am to 3pm, Tuesday to Sunday.
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