Japan consistently outperforms the rest of the world in terms of transportation, travel, and even cuisine. Even something as basic as a beef cutlet sandwich has been elevated to a real delicacy in Japan. These symmetrical sandwiches of thick, juicy rare beef cutlets sandwiched between fluffy white bread are stunning to look at and delicious to eat. With that, let Glitz bring you this guide to mouth-watering katsu sando that will have you wanting more but…make it better with wagyu.
Wagyu beef is widely sought after all over the world as one of the best cuts available. Given the exorbitant cost of its steaks, the wagyu katsu sando, which literally translates to wagyu cutlet sandwich, is now available as an alternative for sandwiches.
1. Kikubari
| Address | L3-01A, Jalan Damanlela Damansara City Mall, Pusat Bandar Damansara, 50490 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur |
| Operating hours | Every day (12pm – 10:30pm) |
| Contact | 013-362 4546 |
Kikubari’s staff cranked out katsu sandwiches at a factory-like pace during MCO, balancing quality and quantity. Chef Jun Wong’s colourful katsu sando series featured a broad range of ingredients, from unagi to corn, but the Ebi Katsu Sando (prawn katsu sandwich) got the most praise; it is still available for delivery or dine-in today. Chef Jun’s A4 wagyu is served between two slices of charcoal toasted bread and is seasoned with nothing but salt, lightly breadcrumbed, and then deep-fried to golden perfection in temperature-regulated oil for juicy, luscious chunks of marbled beef that are worth the RM200-RM400, depending on weight.
2. Ushi KL
| Address | No. 6, Level 3A, The St. Regis Kuala Lumpur, Jalan Stesen Sentral 2, Kuala Lumpur Sentral, 50470 Kuala Lumpur |
| Operating hours | Every day (12pm – 9:30pm) |
| Contact | 012-330 3600 |
Ozaki beef, bred from Ozaki cattle that eat an all-natural diet with 15 different kinds of grass, is the wagyu of choice for the katsu sando at Ushi. The meal is mixed daily and includes meadow grass, wet barley mash, maize, and barley, to mention a few ingredients. Furthermore, calves are slaughtered between the ages of 28 and 36 months, allowing the meat’s flavour to develop over time.
As a result, you get meat that is heavily marbled yet does not feel greasy on the tongue. Instead, it melts like fragrant butter, complemented with the chef’s unique blueberry, lime juice, and sesame puree, as well as Japanese milk bread to make the perfect sandwich.
3. Sushi Ryu
| Address | Platinum Park, Persiaran KLCC, Kuala Lumpur City Centre, 50088 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur |
| Operating hours | Every day (12pm – 10:30pm) |
| Contact | 03-2181 1533 |
Sushi Ryu is one of KL’s newest fine-dining Japanese restaurants, yet it already has a fan base. Sushi Ryu, located in Platinum Park KL, offers an omakase experience unlike any other, with fresh and seasonal ingredients flown in straight from Japan. Sushi Ryu is also known for its wagyu katsu sando, which are bite-sized wagyu beef sandwiches that are diced and breaded.
4. Beast by Big
| Address | First Floor, Lot 6-A & 6-1A, Jalan Batai, Bukit Damansara, 50490 Kuala Lumpur |
| Operating hours | Weekday (12pm – 10pm), Weekend (Closed) |
| Contact | 010-265 9539 |
When The BIG Group’s vast line of restaurants reopened in Plaza Batai and relaunched as a contemporary Japanese steakhouse, it debuted its version of the wagyu katsu sando. It’s huge, just like the rest of the menu. If the overabundance of coveted wagyu wasn’t enough, it also comes with a side of fries in case you’re still hungry at the conclusion of the meal. Because the wagyu here is leaner than most, people who don’t like a lot of marbling might wish to save the accompanying link for reservations.
5. Wurst Kuala Lumpur
| Address | 15-G, Persiaran Ara Kiri, Bangsar, 59100 Wilayah Persekutuan, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur |
| Operating hours | Tuesday to Sunday (12pm – 10pm), Monday (Closed) |
| Contact | 03-2201 0609 |
Despite the fact that wagyu katsu sando is primarily a Japanese dish, Wurst Kuala Lumpur has made it its own. Wurst KL is a restaurant in Bangsar’s Lucky Garden that serves a variety of cuisines. The only drawback is that it does not operate from a restaurant, but that should not deter you from trying its latest inventions. Its A4 Japanese Wagyu katsu sando costs only RM29, making it the most affordable option on our list.
6. Yakuza by Dark
| Address | 526, Jalan 17/13 Petaling Jaya Selangor 46400 |
| Operating hours | Wednesday to Monday (12pm – 9pm), Tuesday (Closed) |
| Contact | 012-847 0893 |
Their Wagyu Katsu Sando is not cheap, costing between RM138 and RM168, but that’s to be expected when premium ingredients like caviar and gold leaf are used in practically every dish. Readers who are Muslim will be relieved to learn that their whole menu, which includes lobster rolls and rice bowls, is pork-free.
