Japanese katsu sando is probably one of the most famous sandwiches in the world. Maybe only a good American grilled cheese, Vietnamese bánh mì, and French croque madame can rival it. In its simplest and most authentic version, it’s a sandwich made of two key elements: soft milk bread and fried pork. Thinly sliced cabbage, tonkatsu sauce, and the famous Kewpie mayonnaise are also added, if you really need and want them. And in this form, this sandwich contains everything you need. Textures that set it apart from classic sandwiches, from bread as soft as cotton to a super-crispy piece of meat in panko crumbs, crunchy salad, and creamy sauces, and it’s also a great combination of savory, fresh, sweet, and tangy. That’s not surprising to us because when it comes to food, you should trust the Japanese. They turn even an ordinary sandwich, like the ones our moms used to shove into our hands when we’d run into the house sweaty and hungry after a whole day of playing on hot asphalt, a piece of meat between two slices of bread, into a science and make it the best thing in the world.

Its popularity is proven by the fact that people enjoy katsu sando today from Japan to Argentina, in all kinds of places, from gas stations and kiosks to expensive Michelin-starred restaurants.

It’s popular here as well, without exception it’s part of every Asian festival’s offer, precisely because of its practicality and simplicity, while in restaurants it’s served in different variations and with small tweaks. For example, SOL tapas Croatian style by Mate Janković has had Zagreb sando on the menu for some time now, which, as you might guess, is a combination of Zagreb schnitzel and Japanese sandwich. Still, the most famous address for a good katsu sando, although in a slightly different form from the original, is a small place hidden in a courtyard at the very beginning of Zagreb’s Jurišićeva Street. Anyone who has tried katsu sando at least once in their life at KAI Street Food will know what we’re talking about because it is certainly one of the most popular sandwiches in Zagreb, if not the most popular.

Vedran Peteh/Cropix

The team at KAI Street Food makes it their own way, with chicken (or tofu, for vegetarians), soft milk bread, cabbage, katsu sauce, and mayonnaise with a bit of gochujang paste, and they sprinkle sesame seeds on top.

"We made a sandwich that’s a bit more adapted to our market, so we make it with chicken, which, because of the way we prepare it, is quite juicy. At first, we also had a pork sandwich, but the meat here and in Japan is quite different, so it can’t be exactly the same. Chicken is more accessible and guests like it more. We also boosted the sauces to make everything tastier, and we grill the bread, which isn’t usually the custom. That gives it a better flavor," Damir Bajo and Zvonimir Štrk told us when we managed to pull them away for a moment from their small but always busy kitchen.

Vedran Peteh/Cropix

The fact that they nailed the flavors and proportions is proven by the fact that since they opened, this sandwich has been by far the best-selling dish they offer. Sometimes it accounts for as much as 60 percent of daily sales, and each member of the KAI team, they say, has made at least ten thousand of these sandwiches. What’s the secret?

"There’s no secret, Croatians love breaded food, and we’re good with proportions. For katsu sandwiches, that’s the most important thing: a good ratio of meat to sauce, and, even more important, quality meat prepared in a quality way," Bajo explained, and Štrk added: "And the bread! It also has to be really good. Actually, there aren’t many components, so each one has to be high quality for the whole thing to work."

But what if KAI Street Food is too far for you, and you really want to try their famous sandwich? First, we’re sorry. Second, try their marinade for the meat, for which they gave us the recipe, and start there, then build up until you get something as close as possible to the best sandwich you’ve ever made. Then you’re on the right track!

Chicken marinade for katsu sandwich

You will need:
1 l soy sauce
1 l oil
1 tablespoon mustard
juice and zest of one lemon
1 teaspoon ground paprika
3 cloves of garlic
piece of ginger
Preparation:
Finely chop the garlic and ginger and mix everything together into a marinade for the chicken. Keep the meat in the marinade for several hours or overnight, then bread it the classic way with flour, eggs, and panko breadcrumbs. This marinade recipe can also be used when preparing pork.