Each Izakaya Pork Katsu Sando costs $23, feeds exactly one, and sells out fast. But this time, owner Yudai Kanayama reports, the sando is here to stay: “It’s gonna be on the menu forever.”
The pork katsu sando has returned, 18 months after it first disappeared.It’s easy to miss the sign that announces the return of New York’s most impressive pork sandwich: BEST KATSU SANDO ON EARTH is handwritten above a small drawing of a ringed planet. It hangs from a horseshoe on a wall that’s mostly hidden from view by a wooden beam in the back of. Still, the sandwich tends to sell out. There are only 20 available each night, beginning at 6 p.m., and its fans show up early.
By 6:22 p.m. on a recent Wednesday, five had already been spoken for. The first sandwich dropped at a two-top occupied by a pair of men who regarded the imperious creation — a one-and-a-half-inch-thick pork cutlet encased in craggy panko, pressed between two slices of buttered, griddled milk bread along with a loose thatch of shredded cabbage — with reverence.
It really is. The sandwich returned to the small restaurant’s abbreviated list of specials in June, 17 months after owner Yudai Kanayama had to scrap it from the Izakaya’s offerings because he was unable to keep up with demand. During the pandemic, when Kanayama first released his katsu composition, he would sell out all 50 sandwiches each night. Its acolytes would come in three or four nights in a row.
The daily blitz was unsustainable. Unlike a standard tonkatsu, which is breaded and fried through quickly, Kanayama’s pork cutlet surrenders to a 145-degree sous-vide bath for an entire work day, until the meat is as tender as modeling clay. It’s then cloaked in a layer of panko, some of the crumbs as big as Grape Nuts, and briefly fried to a glassy crisp. Each is next doused in slow-cooked tonkatsu sauce, mellow and sweet, concentrated to a tenth its original volume after a five-hour simmer.
Kanayama has taken steps to make sure the sandwich sticks around: He now has a rotating staff of cooks who assist with the 13 hours of prep required to make each sando. For another, he has curtailed the number of available sandwiches to 160 a week; in addition to the 20 each night at 6 p.m., another 20 drop every Saturday at noon. Each one costs $23 and feeds exactly one . This time, Kanayama reports, the sando is here to stay: “It’s gonna be on the menu forever.”.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Egghead Sando Cafe opens in Santa Clara, South San JoseExpansion doubles restaurant’s footprint
Read more »
The Very Best Skillets, According to the Very Best Tests (We’re Biased, But Still)We went through our equipment reviews and pulled together our picks for the very best skillets, including cast iron, carbon steel, and stainless steel.
Read more »
20 Best Wedding Sneakers to Dance the Night AwayYour feet will thank you on your big day.
Read more »
8 Fast-Food Chains That Serve the Best EggsSome chains not only serve freshly cracked eggs cooked from scratch but also boast premium ingredients that go with them.
Read more »
Save 20% Off These Olaplex Best Sellers Right NowDon't miss out on one of Nordstrom's biggest deals — literally.
Read more »