8 Eating places Providing the Juiciest Wagyu Sandos in Hong Kong

Katsumoto’s take is somewhat original. The Wagyu Sando (HK$298) at this Sai Ying Pun neighbourhood izakaya is a tried-and-true recipe. Think breaded Australian M5 Wagyu steak wedged between soft and pillowy Hokkaido milk bread. Plus, fine veiled layers of tangy tonkatsu sauce and Kewpie mayonnaise gel the two together. A delicious bite, rest assured.

You’re probably familiar with Wagyumafia, the Tokyo-based beef expert. After all, shots of a side-eyeing chef with a camera-focused plate of beautifully marbled cuts have somewhat become a very iconic signature of the brand. Plus, Hong Kong is its first overseas outpost. The sandos here are entirely splurge-worthy. One serving will set you back HKD 250 but one bite into the buttery, tonkatsu-fried Miyazaki beef will all be worth it. The perfect, pink-in-the-middle sear is certainly a winner.

Before you doubt the authenticity of this sando (HKD 318), being from a Korean eatery, hear it out. Looks wise, it’s identical to its Japanese counterpart with a perfectly pink sear and two thin, lightly golden, toasted sandwiches on either side. It also has good bread-to-batter-to-beef proportions. Fortunately, cuts here at The Charcoal Room are of premium standards. The restaurant prides itself on having some of the best barbecue cuts around town with the Chinese oak charcoal grill as its signature. As for the chunky slab in the middle of this sando, it’s an A5 Kumamoto beef tenderloin. It’s all about the beef and the bread anyway.

Trust that you’ve patronised this Black Sheep favourite at some point. Fukuro, the group’s designated Japanese izakaya is beloved for its modern, casual plates and boozy highballs. Between plates of the owl-stamped Monaka ice-cream sandwich and signature crispy caramel butter corn, bet you didn’t know this eatery serves a special Wagyu sando (HKD 208) off-menu. The Wagyu tenderloin is marinated for two hours and coated in panko for that satisfying crunchy exterior and pillow-soft interior bite. Served with a drizzle of katsu sauce and karashi mayo—in limited portions only, The Wagyu sando is a worthy alternative.

The construction of a typical Wagyu sando can be broken down into two parts: the beef and the bread. The trick is striking a perfect balance. At Nikushou, home to yakiniku specialists, the sandwiches (HKD 418) are taken quite seriously. Delicate cuts of Hida Wagyu tenderloin are expertly fried with a light panko coating and sit snugly—perfectly, in our opinion—between the buttery-soft brioche pillows from Bakehouse. Half portions are available, but why would you deny yourself the extra slice?

Look, there are a lot of izakayas in Hong Kong but Yurakucho sets itself apart. Drawing inspiration from the casual, intimate eateries found in the train tracks of Tokyo, Yurakucho certainly prides itself on bringing the same vibrant energy (and taste) of an authentic Japanese izakaya. The Wagyu Sando (only HKD 180!) comes in a delicious tonkatsu sauce, blending perfectly between the Wagyu and the bread, slightly toasted for that extra crunch. With its tender yet thick juicy meat, you get a simple sando rich in taste.

Of course, you get what you pay for. So, there’s a belief that the more expensive a dish is, the better it is. While that’s definitely true most of the time, there are exceptions, even with something as refined as Wagyu. Maruju Aburi Farm is proof of this. For just a little under HKD 200, you get to taste delicious sando from grass-fed, pure-blood Australian Wagyu. Sure, it may not be Japanese Wagyu but that doesn’t mean it’s not any better. Pat your wallet and order as much affordable Wagyu as you want, after all, they’re a yakiniku restaurant.

Over at Marble, you get to try not only the best of Japanese Kappo cuisine but also French cuisine. This restaurant uses premium Ozaki beef, a rare type because only 30 cattle are produced per month. The reason? These high-grade cattle have a diet comprising 15 different feeds and it takes about 28 to 36 months for them to mature. So, just think of the Wagyu sando here as something of a rarity, of an exclusive, if you may. Don’t doubt the price tag! The good news is that the Ozaki Beef Sandwich is part of the Shimo dinner set menu (HKD 1,800) so it’s not the only dish you’ll have. Or you can opt for the cheaper option, the Saku dinner menu (HKD 1,580) with the Miyazaki Beef Sandwich instead. But if you really just want the sandwich a la carte then you can go for the solo Miyazaki Beef Sandwich Set for just HKD 488—lunch only!