Hidaka, Hokkaido – The pressure cooker hardships of COVID-19 lockdowns produced diamonds that continue to shine years after the fact.
Disheartened by lackluster convenience store, street food and home delivery options while cooped up in his Paris home during the pandemic, chef Walter Ishizuka set his imagination to how simple B-kyū gurume (cheap and casual yet delicious food) could deliver superlative epicurean experiences.
And so in 2022, Yabai Sando was born — a “Paris Japanese sando house” (using the Japanese word for “sandwich”) in the French capital’s upscale Odeon neighborhood. There, Ishizuka serves chicken katsu (cutlets), tamago (egg), tuna tataki (seared) and wagyu katsu on pillowy, crustless Japanese shokupan bread and with fine-dining flourishes like yuzu aioli and black sesame and ginger wasabi sauces.
