Chef-owner Rob Lam of BUTTERFLY has created a new lunchtime pop-up concept called Pan Grill Sandwich Shop (pan is the Japanese word for “bread”). Swing by the takeout window on the south side of the restaurant from Wed-Sun (11am-3pm) for a menu of affordable and flavor-packed bites with Japanese influences (check out the menu here). His sandwiches are made on a milk bun (think of your favorite bao bun and then multiply it by 10—he was been working with a baker to perfect the bun, and they are crazy good). Sandwiches include pork katsu with yuzu slaw and pickled white onion, kimchi pulled pork with mizuna, tsukune chicken meatball, and hanger steak with a scallion-chimichurri sauce (all $7). Of course Lam is already plotting more combos.
There are also three salads (ahi tuna, shichimi chicken, or miso garlic Caesar), with ingredients like furikake rice strips. Looking for something extra-hearty? There are also three donburi options, like ahi tuna poke, curry pork katsu, and that hanger steak ($8-$9). Lam is also crazy for ikura, so he has some ikura yaki onigiri on the menu too. You can also follow @PanGrill on Twitter for updates. Pier 33, The Embarcadero at Bay, 415-864-8999.
Pan pan! Pan Grill’s pork katsu sandwich. Photo via Facebook.
