We love sandwiches, like, a lot. We especially love katsu sandwiches, which are as delicious as they are photogenic (hey, you, good-looking deep-fried meat cutlet smothered in tonkatsu sauce). And lucky for you, there are tons of excellent places to get one in SF. Here are five great katsu sandwiches to try right now.
THE SPOTS
We’d keep a miniature statue of Cafe Okawari’s katsu sandwich on our nightstand if they made one—it’s that good. The version at this Japanese cafe in SoMa stars a chicken thigh that’s fried to golden brown perfection and then stacked with the usual cabbage and sweet katsu sauce and mayo. It’s simple, impeccably done, and delicious. Grab a side salad or matcha latte to go with it.
Volcano Curry in the Richmond makes some of the best chicken katsu curry in the city. So, no surprise here, their katsu sandwiches impress us, too. The important thing to note is that these sandwiches are massive. Two evenly breaded and fried chicken cutlets are stacked on top of each other, and then a ton of coleslaw and a slightly sweet sauce are layered on top. You will need two hands to eat this. Things will get messy. But when a sandwich is this fantastic, there are no complaints.
Torraku Ramen used to be a ramen-only food truck, but now they’ve got a brick-and-mortar spot in Potrero Hill serving everything from donburi bowls to yakisoba. They also have a katsu sandwich that’s all-around excellent, and we especially love it because of the spicy mayo. The sandwich also comes with a side of dressing and cabbage salad, which you’ll want to stuff inside the sandwich yourself for a necessary crunch.
The katsu sandwich at this Mission boba shop is the star at this small counter-service spot. A giant, plump pork cutlet is sandwiched inside two slices of pillowy white bread and some cabbage coleslaw that’ll make you salivate on sight. The pork is fried to perfection and the batter is as light as the cabbage is crisp. Come here for this—and maybe the Hong Kong-style milk tea with its bold flavor—but mostly this.
If you’re in the Outer Richmond, and in need of a perfectly-square katsu sandwich right now, head to Bread N’ Chu. The sandwich shop makes a really good one with a thick, crispy chicken breast, shredded cabbage, a generous layer of Kewpie mayo, and crustless milk bread. They make other sandwiches, too, like tonkatsu and choux sandwiches, but the katsu one is the star.
