Long before the so-called sandwich artists came to town, Corner Brook had submarine sandwich royalty that many still clearly long for.
Those mouth-watering memories have come flooding back this week with news that Dave Kung, proprietor of the long-gone Sub King sandwich shop on Caribou Road, has died.
He died in Fort McMurray, Alta. on Nov 12. He was 66.
Mr. Kung's culinary creations were some of the most renowned sub sandwiches in western Newfoundland from the time he opened shop in 1980 until he closed the doors for good in August 2002.
Ask anyone who ate there and they will clearly recall the shop's most famous offering, the Double Depth Charger.
The footlong sandwich, layering an assortment of meats and veggies, topped off with Dave’s Secret Sauce, delighted the taste buds as it slipped by on its descent towards detonating a blow that immobilized the hunger of Sub King's loyal patrons.
Geoff Wells was a friend of Kung’s for more than 35 years and a long-time frequent consumer of Double Depth Charger subs. In fact, he was fortunate enough to have them custom-made for him years after Sub King had closed.
Wells and Mr. Kung became reacquainted after they both moved to Fort McMurray and Mr. Kung's wife Linda and Wells became co-workers.
Wells made it known he still had cravings for his friend’s patented sandwich. Occasionally, Mr. Kung would make one just for him.
Wells would take to Facebook, bragging to all his friends back home about the tasty meal he had been treated to. Some of the comments in response to those posts clearly showed how much Sub King was missed and how jealous Wells' friends were that he got to eat an authentic Double Depth Charger made by the Sub King master himself.
“I guess it was the sauce he used that made it special, and the amount of stuff he put on it,” Wells testified.
Nyle Sheppard was employed at Sub King out of high school, between 1988 and 1990.
She says no one ever found out what was in that secret sauce.
Whatever it was, she says it was known all across Corner Brook that Sub King had the best subs in town.
But Sub King wasn’t just known for the quality of its sandwiches; it was also beloved for the character of the man who ran it.
Sheppard remembers Mr. Kung as a father figure, calling him one of the most “genuine, caring and compassionate” people she had ever met.
He became a role model for her.
“He had the type of personality that shaped my character,” she told The Western Star.
Wells said his friend had a fantastic sense of humour and was just an overall nice guy.
A celebration of Kung’s life is occurring in Corner Brook at Club 64 on Broadway Wednesday, from 4-7 p.m.
Interment will take place at Mount Patricia Cemetery Thursday at 2 p.m.
The Double Depth Charger Recipe
- Roast Beef
- Salami
- Pepperoni
- Pastrami
- Ham
- Turkey
- Cheese
- Dave’s Secret Sauce
- Your choice of veggies and toppings
Source: Nyle Sheppard
