Image: Courtesy of Fat Bao
You may have heard of the katsu sando, which has now become a full-fledged, international trend. It usually consists of a fried beef, chicken, pork, or seafood cutlet with tonkatsu sauce between milk bread. There’s a famously lavish Kobe beef version on offer at B&B Butchers & Restaurant, yours for $120. But more affordable options are out there, too, at these local spots also putting their own tasty twist on the sandwich:
Fat Bao
The pork katsu at the popular steamed-bun sandwich shop stars a fatty, fried pork belly, balanced by creamy avocado and a tart cabbage slaw, coated in a sweet tonkatsu sauce and tucked inside a tender, fluffy bun. It’s so good, you may have to order two.
Ramen Tatsu-Ya
Yes, the ramen is the move here, but a delectable “munchie katsu slider” won’t ruin your appetite. A panko-crusted beef patty is bathed in acidic tonkatsu sauce and served with crunchy cabbage inside a charred Hawaiian roll. This little slice of heaven is paired with a healthy pile of bread-and-butter pickles, the perfect palate cleanser.
Waikiki Grill
The monstrous chicken katsu wrap at this Hawaiian grill inside a Humble strip mall, meanwhile, is definitely a meal in itself. Slices of breaded poultry, along with lettuce, tomato, cheddar, and a creamy and tart mayonnaise, come inside a whole-wheat wrap—a far cry from classic katsu, yes, but a worthy iteration.
Published in the 60 Ways to Have Fun & Feel Great issue of Houstonia Mag.
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