Katsu Sando Adding Second Location in San Gabriel Spring 2022

Katsu Sando, Chinatown’s beloved Japanese sandwich shop, is expanding to a second location in San Gabriel, located at 710 W. Las Tunas Dr.

The new restaurant hopes to open its doors in Spring 2022 and will feature a much larger kitchen, allowing for new dishes, the Los Angeles Times reports. Another benefit from the bigger kitchen is the opportunity to offer limited and seasonal items, such as oxtail Hayashi rice, which will become a regular item at the new location. While their Cobini fridge with on-the-go meals will still be available, the new location hopes to offer on-site dining, as well as serve beer and wine.

A katsu sando is a Japanese-style “cutlet” coated with panko breadcrumbs and deep-fried till golden brown. Katsu Sando offers five different options for their fillings, including chicken, pork, menchi katsu, honey walnut shrimp, and mushroom katsu. Co-owners Daniel Son and James Lee first started serving these at the original location at 736 N. Broadway after being inspired by Japanese convenience stores. Customers can expect to find an expanded menu at the new location, along with the staples found at the original.

Katsu Sando proudly bakes its own honey milk shokipan bread every day. The restaurant quickly gained attention on Instagram after Son and Lee posted their $85 a5 wagyu steak sando. Although the expensive sandwich isn’t available anymore, customers can expect to find much more affordable prices on the menu. The original location’s five sando options range from $11-$13. The restaurant also offers katsu family meals, making at-home dinner options much easier to order.

“I think the heart and soul of why people love the katsu sando from like a 7-Eleven in Japan is that it’s’ not supposed to be high-end or fine dining, it’s’ just supposed to be extremely relatable and affordable, which fit with our identity,” Daniel Son told Time Out last year after opening the original brick-and-mortar. “We just wanted to do it sort of true to its culture and true to its name.”