On top of tantalising tipples, this cocktail bar also serves up a mean selection of sandos that perfectly complements its spirits. For something classic, you can’t go wrong with the ebi and corn katsu sando, featuring a prawn and sweet corn patty assembled between buttery toast. While deceptively simple, this sando is filled with rich umami flavours. Feel like treating yourself? The highly raved beef katsu sando is an indulgent treat that features beautifully marbled Wagyu beef encased in a golden brown panko crust. Its rich and buttery flavours are balanced with sweet and tangy tonkatsu sauce.

Premium cuts of beef can hardly be considered affordable. But at Waga Waga Den, you can still indulge in well-marbled Wagyu at an affordable price point. This stylish casual café utilises offcuts from its fine-dining sister concept, Black Cow, and turns them into toppings for savoury sandwiches. Gyu Sawadou is a beautifully assembled open-face toast: thick-cut sourdough comes topped with tender slices of stewed Wagyu, housemade San Marzano sauce, purple cauliflower, and a cheesy blanket of mozzarella. Or try the Bifu Sandoitchi, with sliced beef and onions layered with perilla leaves and provolone cheese. Either will make for a quick, light lunch, best washed down with a cup of single-origin matcha latte, its umami profile helps the Wagyu flavour; or the picture-worthy Cloud, an iced cappuccino finished with a bubbly milk foam cap. Those looking for a lighter bite should grab the tamagoyaki brioche, an adorable snack of fluffy charcoal bread, stuffed with a sweet slab of egg and some nori-infused mayonnaise.

Waga Waga Den, 38 Beach Rd, 01-14 South Beach Tower, S(189767)

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Step into Mio Fine Foods and enter a zen space, modelled after soothing Japanese gardens. The two-storey restaurant features gentle curves, soft lighting, and indoor plants that change with the season. And the menu, too, is just as pleasing to the eye. Wagyu sando is an easy favourite; a thick slab of A5 Japanese beef is first breaded and deep fried, then sandwiched between toasty shokupan slices for an indulgent, almost creamy bite. Gyu sando, also enjoyable, comes made with beef striploin, and has a meatier, firmer texture. To help cut through the heavy flavours, snack on the addictive side of lotus chips, then sip on the delightfully floral lychee oolong or quaff down a refreshing sake-based cocktail.
 
But the highlight is undoubtedly the tamago sando—egg mayonnaise is speckled with bits of truffle, and cradles a soft-centred egg. This off-menu item is available only via pre-order, so be sure to let the restaurant know in advance when making a reservation to sample this exclusive creation.

Mio Fine Foods, 82 Neil Road, S(088843), +65 6291 2330

Gyu San takes its beef very seriously. The butchery-eatery features a display of the finest cuts, thoughtfully sourced from prefectures all over Japan. Look forward to over 55 types of premium Wagyu, and other secondary cuts that range from flank, oyster blade and more. Not in the mood to cook? Then swing by the adjoining sando shop for decadent treats. The signature gyu katsu sees panko-crusted A5 Wagyu—choose from cuts of house cut, striploin, or chateaubriand—deep fried till golden and crisp, then assembled with wasabi aioli and toasted shokupan. Pair it with a side of chips fried in Wagyu fats, then end things off on a sweet note with fresh fruit sandos made using seasonal produce suspended within a layer of whipped custard cream.

Gyu San Singapore, 7 Wallich Street, Unit 01-03 Guoco Tower, S(078884), +65 8313 6633

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Never doubt an establishment that calls itself the House of Specialty Sandos. Hello Arigato is perhaps one of the most popular cafés that has an exciting list of Japanese-inspired sandwiches. Gyu sando is the most popular, with Angus beef striploin, pink in the middle, served with caramelised sweet onion jam and milk bread. Equally worth an order is the tamago sando, an elegant construction of egg mayo, tamagoyaki, and ajitama egg. But depending on which outlet you visit, the location-exclusive creation is also worth trying. At the latest Joo Chiat space, HCG is made of a juicy slab of chicken that has been marinated in prawn paste for some 48 hours, while the kitchen at Upper Thomson dishes out a locally inspired otah sandwich with breaded Muar otah, spiced with kaffir lime sambal and coconut mayo. Complete your order with sides of fries or tater tots, and grab a couple of bakes (the matcha mocha cookie is a must-have) on display to end the meal on a sweet note.

Hello Arigato, 227 Upper Thomson Road, S(574359), +65 8772 3778

Inspired by his love for café culture, chef Lewis Barker from Michelin-starred Sommer has sought to create a cosy coffee spot of his own. That space is Cafe Natsu, an all-day dining establishment tinged with Japanese influences. You’ll find that the usual brunch suspects get elevated with Asian flavours—from sancho pepper-glazed ham used in eggs Benedict, to pillowy soufflé pancakes paired with Hokkaido milk ice cream. Sandwiches, or sando to be exact, make an appearance on the menu too. Wagyu beef short rib sando is a labour of love; the beef is first slow-cooked for 48 hours, then roasted over the binchotan for a smoky kiss. It then gets stuffed between shokupan slices, alongside shishito pepper ketchup and yuzukosho mayonnaise. It then comes accompanied by fries, tossed with togarashi for a slick of heat. Also stunning is the egg mayo, which comes with the addition of tobiko for a fun, briny pop in every bite.

Cafe Natsu, 283 Joo Chiat Road, S(427537), +65 8886 4497

Apart from busying himself at one-Michelin-starred Whitegrass, chef Takuya Yamashita is also involved in kitchens of another Japanese-inspired concept: Boyutei. Here, he has created a casual Japanese-French fusion menu that is well-suited for any time of the day. In particular, the sando is presented as a stunning open-faced sandwich. Atop inch-thick sweet brioche lies various premium additions. Ebi katsu is an easy favourite, with a succulent prawn patty and the fresh crunch from cabbage and cucumber. Also enjoyable is the Wagyu sukiyaki tamago, with beef slices cooked first in sukiyaki broth, then piled together with onsen egg and sliced red onion. Make sure to leave space for some brews; the beverage programme taps into the popular local tea brand Hvala to provide aromatic blends of smoked sakura, hojicha karigane, and more.

Boyutei, 28 Ann Siang Road, 01-02, S(069708)

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