Opened this week in Chula Vista by three longtime friends, Ichiban Sando has a menu centered around sandwiches made with fried pork or chicken cutlets topped with cabbage slaw, daikon pickles, and katsu sauce served on homemade Japanese milk bread. Curry katsu, curry omurice, egg sandwiches and other fried chicken dishes will soon be added to the menu. The quaint eatery features murals of Japanese cartoons around its interior and also offers a variety of soft drinks including boba tea.
The owners of Ichiban Sando operate a boba shop in San Diego's Hillcrest neighborhood called Little Nap Cafe and are working on another project coming soon this summer in Convoy called Cane Concoctions, which will specialize in fruit/plant based drinks, especially sugarcane.
"Katsu or Tonkatsu has been around for awhile, yet with the growth of people's love for Japanese food and since we already had a boba shop, we figured a quick casual concept that serves combo of katsu sando and boba drinks would go perfectly together," explained Ichiban Sando co-owner Trini Nguyen. "It is quick and efficient, though not easy to get it right: everything has to be made-to-order to ensure the cutlet is crispy and juicy while the toast is soft and fluffy."
Ichiban Sando is located at 573 H Street in Chula Vista. Follow the eatery on Instagram for more information.
