I wasn’t sure I’d ever get back to the US. It just makes me a bit sad. But now I have a reason to return! This fucking sandwich.
From New York Magazine:
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 the Izakaya NYC on East 4th. 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. After an initial inspection, the man sitting closer to the sando caught the eyes of his dining companion and offered his review: “It’s perfect.”
Goddamn there are some good looking sandwiches there. I hope my socials starts pitching this kind of stuff to me. Apparently I'm into american pick-up trucks...
Anyway, this reminded me of the first time, in the UK in the very late 90s, I asked for a chicken salad roll. The mediocrity of the sliced processed chicken, the shredded lettuce, the wafer-thin slices of unripe tomato, the whiteness of the thin white bread... the... the... crapness of the whole. Coming from Australia, this was a quality that I hadn't seen in 5 or more years, and I just wasn't expecting something that looked like it'd been lifted straight out of a 1980s school canteen.
Good timing. We are having Tonkatsu for dinner tonight as its the eldest's last week here before heading to Old Blighty for some study. These are over an inch thick, panko crumbed and deep fried til golden but juicy. Served with rice, Tonkatsu sauce, hot Japanese mustard, dashi simmered pumpkin and shredded cabbage with a squeeze of lemon. Ima gonna miss lunch today to ensure there's room. In saying all that.... the one in the picture looks OK....
I think that thickness estimate is tall. No more than centimeter and a half, IMO. Otherwise I don't see how you could have both nicely browned panko _and_ nicely cooked pork medallion/cutlet.
(Pork katsu is on our regular menu rotation here, once I discovered how easy it was. Served on rice, rather than toast though.)
Is it even a sandwich? Yes, there is apparently some bread sitting outside of the 5 cm of white meat. I get it, so it meets the dictionary definition. I'm just saying that it looks like someone wants to be able to say that all they had for lunch today was a little sandwich, and have really chowed down on half a keg of pig.
And don't get me started on those heart attack burgers. Just don't.
Holy crap.
now social media is giving me ridiculous sandwich recommendations across the world: https://sandwichsandwich.co.uk/
Goddamn there are some good looking sandwiches there. I hope my socials starts pitching this kind of stuff to me. Apparently I'm into american pick-up trucks...
Anyway, this reminded me of the first time, in the UK in the very late 90s, I asked for a chicken salad roll. The mediocrity of the sliced processed chicken, the shredded lettuce, the wafer-thin slices of unripe tomato, the whiteness of the thin white bread... the... the... crapness of the whole. Coming from Australia, this was a quality that I hadn't seen in 5 or more years, and I just wasn't expecting something that looked like it'd been lifted straight out of a 1980s school canteen.
Good timing. We are having Tonkatsu for dinner tonight as its the eldest's last week here before heading to Old Blighty for some study. These are over an inch thick, panko crumbed and deep fried til golden but juicy. Served with rice, Tonkatsu sauce, hot Japanese mustard, dashi simmered pumpkin and shredded cabbage with a squeeze of lemon. Ima gonna miss lunch today to ensure there's room. In saying all that.... the one in the picture looks OK....
I think that thickness estimate is tall. No more than centimeter and a half, IMO. Otherwise I don't see how you could have both nicely browned panko _and_ nicely cooked pork medallion/cutlet.
(Pork katsu is on our regular menu rotation here, once I discovered how easy it was. Served on rice, rather than toast though.)
Well.... 🤤
look its an epic sandwich, but still not enough to temp me to the US anymore.
Is it even a sandwich? Yes, there is apparently some bread sitting outside of the 5 cm of white meat. I get it, so it meets the dictionary definition. I'm just saying that it looks like someone wants to be able to say that all they had for lunch today was a little sandwich, and have really chowed down on half a keg of pig.
And don't get me started on those heart attack burgers. Just don't.
The Panko crust technically counts towards the carb to protein ratio. So its a sandwich.
Imma just give in and say that there are no rules anymore. Two chocolate chip cookies outside of four marshmallows now equals a balanced diet.
Technically correct: https://cuberule.com/
(the best sort of correct).
I stand corrected, sir.
i got heartburn just looking at this pic . . . . lol
oh - and timing of this post! Curse you Birmingham, i forgot my lunch today and i'm trying not to head out and spend coin on food.