Have you ever had sandos before? Vegetarian ones? Well I did several months ago for the first time, but I have since gone back twice because I really enjoyed some of the items I tried from Japanese sandwich shop. Also, second time I went I was surprised to discover something about the restaurant which genuinely made me happy and eager to go back. I explain why and more about why this take-out restaurant is something I’d recommend others to try in this blog post. Before reading below for the detailed review, feel free to check out more vegetarian and vegan content on the blog or via my socials by following on Tiktok, Instagram, and Facebook! See below for a visual preview of what to expect in this blog post below!
Please note this blog post uses affiliate banners and affiliate links that help promote products. Transactions done by clicking can support CHIP Lifestyle financially.
About and Location
Katsupan has two locations one in downtown Toronto, and one in the midland and finch area/plaza (3262 Midland Ave E111, Scarborough, ON), more specifically at SkyCity (same plaza as Chungchun). The great part about this location is that since it is near the back of the plaza, there is ample parking available. Nevertheless, there is actually more reasons for why Katsupan Japanese Sandwich stands out in this plaza.
Katsupan is a Japanese sandwich shop that specializes in take out with a menu consisting of various items from sandos (crustless white bread sandwiches), fries, shokupan (Japanese milk bread), jam, and more! When I went for the first time in late April, I saw they had a couple of orders coming in but the wait wasn’t bad at all and it was the best customer service I have ever received at that plaza. The girl who was working at the register was very polite and kind which is also why I wanted to go back. When I did, it turns out that the owner of Katsupan was a friend from middle school which was so surprising but awesome. Therefore, I am even more happy to support this small business knowing that it’s Scarborough based with good service and good food (some are items you will definitely get again).
Taste
Staples
Before getting to the sandos I wanted to first talk about the taste of some staples you can get here such as the shokupan and the katsu curry dip. There are four different shokupan options to choose from, but I went with the large original ($8.49 or $5.99 for small). The bread is great on it’s own but goes well with jam, curry, or as a toast. I get the large because this bread does have a shelf-life of 5 days and I usually make pizza toast with whatever bread I have left over. With the Katsu curry dip ($4), it is just the curry (no cutlet) so you don’t have to worry about that but in terms of taste it has a great combination of warmth and spice to give that comforting soup feeling. This is also really good on it’s own but you can also pair ti with the fries and sandos for a nice flavour kick. My family did say that it also reminded them a bit of chickpeas but I personally didn’t taste that.
Sandos
From left to right you will see the three vegetarian options for sandos, egg salad, tomago, and veggie.
These sandos are so good and something you got to try. The crustless white bread is toasted nicely and in each special box you get 3 sandwiches! The egg salad ($7.99) tastes how you expect but elevated with keypie mayo and green onions to give a nice savoury feel to it. Only bad thing was that it was really messy and fell a part instantly so I recommend using utensils. I did take a spoonful of the curry dip and paired it with the egg salad, and it tasted great in my opinion. Personally, I think the veggie sando has the best flavour. It has to be something about the toasty bread holding these awesome veggies (tempura zucchini and avocado) into one sandwich Bread is toasty. The Tamago ($8.99) is probably my favourite out of the three, it is is well seasoned and properly garnished. Love the fluffiness of the egg and it is more tidy compared to the egg salad (but you will most likely have some stuff stick in your mouth). It’s not bad with curry dip, but it is so good on it’s own, and that’s how I prefer it.
Fries and Drinks
From left to right, lychee soda, togarashi fries, and pineapple soda
I also got some sides including the togarashi fries ($4.50) which were well seasoned and really crispy. From what I read togarashi is the japanese word for Capsicum annuum which I would describe it as a hot pepper. I know the site mentions the fries have a little kick to it but it wasn’t spicy at all but still tasted good! I would recommend using the mayo dip it comes with, as it is a nice step up from the chipotle sauce you usually get with sweet potato fries. In terms of the drinks I got both the pineapple and lychee soda at $4 each. They weren’t bad but I felt the lychee’s sweet flavour was more distinctive than the pineapple soda.
Overall
All in all, this is a great spot not just in Scarborough, but in Toronto! I love that they have different tasty vegetarian options at an affordable price. I am never not full when eating from here and I enjoy baking something at home with the large shokupan left over. I recommend this place to vegetarians and especially non-vegetarians. My personal favourites are the tomago sando, veggie sando, original shokupan, and the katsu curry dip. I am looking forward to seeing where Wilson will take this place in the future and wish him all the best! If you had Katsupan before or want to check it out, let me know your thoughts in the comments below or on social media by following on Tiktok, Instagram, and Facebook as I will be posting more vegetarian and Scarborough content!