Ever wondered what it takes to make the perfect panini? Salvatore “Toto” Giammaria of Totino Panino has the answer — and a shop full of cult-favorite sandwiches to prove it. From bestsellers to personal favorites, he’s spilling all in this interview.
But that’s not all — Totino Panino is offering a chance for one lucky panini lover to create your own masterpiece and see it land on the menu plus a set of four paninis on the house. Think you’ve got what it takes? Read on.
Salvatore “Toto” Giammaria of Totino Panino
Salvatore Giammaria’s path from Bari, Italy, to becoming Shanghai’s Panini King wasn’t exactly a straight line — it was more of a scenic detour through finance, furniture, and corporate life. Before paninis, he was crunching numbers, first as an accountant in a furniture company and later in sales for a chemical company. He did well for himself, and it more than paid the bills, but something was missing.
Then, one fateful evening in May 2019 over drinks, friends Julio and Lucky Lasagna (Bambino) gave him the nudge (or maybe the full-blown shove) he needed. The idea for Totino Panino was born. Two months later, it was a reality — he sold his first sandwiches at Jiashan Market. Then, in July 2019, he opened a tiny shop on Changshu Lu serving no-frills Italian sandwiches the way they were meant to be: simple, satisfying, and made with care.
At Totino Panino, the philosophy is straightforward: good bread, good ingredients, no gimmicks. The paninis here don’t rely on trendy toppings or fancy presentation; they stick to the fundamentals. A perfect balance of crusty, freshly baked ciabatta and high-quality cold cuts and cheeses.
Giammaria’s personal favorite? The Mortazza panino — mortadella, provolone, and basil, tucked inside crunchy golden bread, just like back home. And unlike many paninis out there, these aren’t pressed or toasted — just stacked the traditional way, as they were at Zio Nicola’s deli in his hometown.
From Changshu Lu to Shankang Li
The original location of Totino Panino was a charmingly cramped affair, squeezed behind the metro entrance on Changshu Lu, where diners often found themselves sharing elbow room or perching on barstools outside. Despite the limited space, Totino Panino quickly developed a cult following of expats and locals alike, all in search of an authentic Italian sandwich.
By April 2024, it had outgrown its original home and relocated to a larger space in Shankang Li, doubling its seating and adding an outdoor terrace.
But bigger didn’t necessarily mean easier. Giammaria soon realized that a “hipper neighborhood” didn’t guarantee footfall. “Shankang Li is a destination, and I was not ready for it,” he admits. “My old place, we were surrounded by offices, and there were plenty of Americans and Italians living nearby. Here, you have to convince people to come.”
Quality Cold Cuts & Cheese, Good Bread
Of course, Totino Panino still has its dedicated fans, and for good reason. The menu boasts 30 different paninis, stacked with prosciutto, beef, salami, sausages, porchetta, and mortadella, alongside cheeses like burrata, scamorza, and provolone. There are even solid vegetarian options. Whatever your preference, there’s a panino for you.
And if you’re wondering whether you could make the same thing at home — the short answer? Probably not. The secret is in the bread. A custom ciabatta recipe, developed through countless rounds of trial and error with a trustworthy supplier, is delivered fresh daily. Light and airy on the inside, with just the right crunch on the outside, it’s the perfect vessel for Giammaria’s carefully curated ingredients.
Paninis are also available via delivery.
The Favorites, Ups & Downs, Growing
Here it is, straight from Shanghai’s Panini King, the bestsellers, the personal favorites, and the ups and downs of running a sandwich shop in this town.
And all the way at the bottom of this article, learn how you can submit your sandwich combo for it to be a special at Totino Panino, plus four of your creation paninis on the house!
Interview with Salvatore “Toto” Giammaria
What is the crowd favorite panini?
Toto: The most traditional Italian panino, the Ham & Mozzarella, the most simple panini that you can find everywhere in Italy. Arugula, fresh tomato, fresh mozzarella, and ham. No sauce — nothing. Why do you have to spoil a good mozzarella with a sauce?
What is the bestseller?
Toto: Truffle Paradise. It’s rich in flavor due the truffled pecorino and the truffle cream.
What is the most popular for delivery?
Toto: The Truffle Paradise, too! But also Ham & Mozzarella and Sir Dave.
If you could choose one panini to eat for the rest of your life, which one is it and why?
Toto: No doubt it will be the Mortazza. It’s simple but very tasty. It’s made with mortadella and smoked provolone cheese and has the freshness of basil. This was the panino I was use to eat from the small deli beside my mother’s house and everybody called the owner Zio Nicola (Uncle Nicola).
What sets your paninis apart from other sandwiches shops?
Toto: What makes our paninis different is the bread! Also the combination of quality ingredients and tradition. And our prosciutto ham has to be big slices, like my shoe size, 45! Haha!
We do not press the bread. We make our panini just like Zio Nicola did. Everyone toasts the bread. If I were to press it — everywhere does it — it be my style. But honestly, if you press it, where does the flavor of the cheese start and where does the flavor of the meat end? It all becomes one. Maybe that’s me, but I prefer it not toasted.
Your sandwiches are pretty traditional. Have you considered including Chinese ingredients or flavors to your sandwiches?
Toto: Honestly, yes! I’ve been thinking about it since I had the fusion pasta (Mapo Tofu Lasagna) from the Yaya’s boys.
I’m considering two. One vegetarian using ratatouille as a base marinated with soy sauce with Sichuan spicy paste. It will be fully vegetarian. We have actually increased the number of vegetarian items, as more people are asking for this. The same for our daily soup, always vegetarian, even vegan, like our minestrone, unless you add cheese.
Another sandwich one would be similar to a Macau Pork Chop, replacing the deep fried pork chop with our home made Porchetta in a panini.
You do quite some specials, have you considered adding more hot dishes?
Toto: I would never be able to compete with the real Italian restaurant. We do our thing. And I want to stay in this niche. Just do a good panini!
What’s the strangest panini request you’ve received?
Toto: Hahahaha! It’s the first time my friend BT brought Raffe (Cantina Agave) to Totino Panino. I overcharged him by almost double!
Raffe asked for some crazy requests and combinations, this and that. After I was done it became one of our overloaded paninis — 17 layers with three different cold cuts, three different cheeses, a lot of tomato slices, pickles, and jalapeño. It’s on the menu as the Wolf #4 (Raffe’s nickname), weighing in at almost 900 grams. Since then, I let him take back that money tenfold, and Raffe became one of my good friends.
You’ve done quite a few pop-ups and events. If you could collaborate with any chef in Shanghai, who would it be?
Toto: We’ve done several events for Vespa, Marangoni, Italian Chamber, Audi, etc. We’ve done few pop-ups too, including with Italo (now closed) to promote Apulian food with my friend and “brother” Chef Roberto Bernasconi (Porto Matto). We’ve been friends for 40 years. We’ve done the Xmas Charity dinner at Italo with 15 other Italian chefs, Downtowner at The St. Regis Jing’an Shanghai, and the latest with Goodman last November.
All those experiences were fantastic, but if there is one person I could choose, I would say my friend and teacher Chef Lucky Lasagna (Bambino). Even today, when I need any advice, I will always call Lucky.
Since opening your first location, what trends have you noticed?
Toto: We opened July 1, 2019, a little before the pandemic. Since then, we have faced three different phases. In 2019 to 2021, everyone who was in Shanghai felt a strong desire to feel normal by spending normally and sometimes even more. In 2022 to 2023, a lot of foreigners and Chinese left, and obviously the F&B felt this lost. In 2024, we saw radical and constant changing of spending habits. Many people reduced spending, or they chose to spend their money more wisely. Their habits changed, and this also impacted the F&B industry.
After I opened, there were more shops that made paninis. Even Alimentari does paninis. Yaya’s made some. Good! More people make paninis, more people know about it, and then more people like it! In this area, you have Sub Standard, Rozebiff, Alimentari. Five years ago, there were very few places that make paninis.
These days, I also do a lot of private catering. Ten people, 20 people. They’ll order some paninis but maybe some pasta themselves for their party and have drinks at home. That’s great. But I also want people to know that we are more than just a sandwich shop. We have a simple wine list and a simple cocktail list, and affordably priced, too.
What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned from running a restaurant in Shanghai?
Toto: Customers are more and more knowledgeable about food, so you have to respect this fact and always improve the quality of your food and your service. You have to keep prices affordable and fair.
Final question. You make paninis for your close friends (BT, Raffe) and put them on the menu. Would you be open to adding a good panini idea from just anyone?
Toto: For you Rachel, I will!
How about my readers?
Toto: Hmm… sure! We will put the best idea for the next panini as a special on the menu for a month. Plus, the person who suggested it will get to have four of those paninis to share with friends — on the house!
Submit Your Panini Combo
You heard that y’all? Comment on this article with your panini combos and one of your ideas will become a highlighted special at Totino Panino for a month! Plus get four of your panini creations on the house!
Tips on winning the next panini of the month:
Suggest ingredients that are readily available in Shanghai. Paninis at Totino Panino range from ¥60 to ¥125. So we can’t really do caviar… but who knows! Toto will be picking a winner by February 20, 2025. Multiple entries accepted. Only one winner selected.
We will reply to the winner in the comments — so keep your eyes peeled for the response!
Totino Panino
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