The best katsu sando in Melbourne

Katsu sandos are a Japanese speciality – and an increasingly popular dish in Melbourne. Find pillowy soft sandwiches filled with fried, crumbed cutlets at these city spots.

Ilza

Enjoy thick-cut crispy pork, cabbage salad, and homemade sauce on bread at Ilza. This Docklands cafe located just outside Marvel Stadium serves a whole variety of Japanese dishes. Swing by when you're out collecting prizes for the Great Melbourne Footy Grab.

Robata lunch special

Robata is serving what is potentially the most stacked katsu delight in Melbourne. For $25 bucks you'll score this mammoth creation, an ice cold Asahi and side dish of edamame snacks. Book between 12 and 4pm, Wednesday to Sunday, and treat yourself to the towering Japanese feast.

Meet Sando

Grab a sandwich to go from Meet Sando on the edge of the Queen Victoria Market. There are five different options to try: chicken, prawn, pork, egg and mushroom. Served with a side of paper thin cabbage slaw and a creamy iced matcha latte, this is one weekday treat that can't be beat.

Fuumi Fuumi

This Japanese bakery in West Melbourne serves up a winning ebi sando with fried prawns and egg salad. Get to Fuumi Fuumi early if you want to pick up some freshly baked shokupan – their wonderfully fluffy loaf is known to sell out. Enjoy their newly refurbished digs - they got so popular post-opening they had to add on an extension!

Coppe Pan

Chicken katsu sandwiches are the number one menu item at Coppe Pan. Their recipe combines bread crumbed, fried chicken with tonkatsu sauce, mustard, and cabbage. They even bake their own bread! Don't hold back on dessert - matcha cheesecake, strawberry cream mochi and vanilla custard cube pastries are in plentiful supply, too.

Saint Dreux

This slick store in the St. Collins Lane food court specialises in delicious katsu sandwiches. The classic pork, prawn, chicken and egg options are all here, plus a special Wagyu beef variety. For sweet tooths Saint Dreux also serves mizu yokan (red bean jelly) and house-made castella (Japanese sponge cake).

279

West Melbourne cafe 279 serves its own variation of a traditional katsu. This is actually one of the cafe’s ‘musubi’: white rice shaped into a triangle, stuffed with filling, and wrapped in nori. The katsu flavour features panko covered, deep-fried chicken, and tonkatsu sauce.

Le Bajo

Hidden in a North Melbourne warehouse, Le Bajo Milkbar was started by one of the founders of Bali's Potato Head Beach Club. Go for the classic crispy katsu sando for a taste of Tokyo. Or try the trending cream sando, complete with perfectly uniform slices of fresh fruit. Open for dine-in and takeaway.

Supernormal

Make your first office lunch back a classic laneway jaunt with this cult-status sando from Supernormal. Think perfectly uniform slices of white bread lined with thick, juicy pork tonkatsu. Swing by Monday to Friday from 12pm to try your luck - this delight is only available until 3pm or sold out.

Ichigo

Eye-pleasing presentation is key to the ichigō aesthetic. It’s a detail you’ll notice when you feast on their homemade chicken katsu sando. The picture-perfect sandwich is built from fresh shokupan, nama panko crumbed chicken, aioli and tonkatsu sauce. Save room for the beautifully precise strawberry shortcake slice.