super sandos

Wildly popular Japanese sandwich pop-up coming to downtown food hall

Sandoitchi is coming to Post Market.

Sandoitchi

The countdown is on for one of the buzziest menu items in Houston. Sandoitchi, the fan favorite — and wildly popular — Japanese sandwich shop that counts Chrissy Teigen as a fan, is popping up in downtown’s hottest new destination.

A recent social media post reveals that Sandoitchi is hosting a pop-up shop at Post Market (401 Franklin St.), the buzzy dining hall inside Post Houston for two weeks.

Fans can line up for the tasty sandos, which will be available for preorder starting at 6 pm Sunday, March 13 online. Guests can pick up orders on the following Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, according to the announcement.

For the two-week pop-up, Sandoitchi will offer its classic sando menu, plus a tempting and decadent A5 wagyu tartare and caviar sando (whoa).

As CultureMap food editor Eric Sandler notes, Sandoitchi serves Japanese sandwiches, aka sandos, that are served on milk bread. Fillings include egg salad, Nashville-style hot chicken, pork katsu, and — at least occasionally — Japanese wagyu topped with edible gold and shaved black truffle.

For dessert, Sandoitchi offers a sando filled with strawberries and matcha cream.

Sandos come with crusts shaved off and packaged in clever little boxes, which make for quite the Instagram snap. Before arriving in Houston with considerable fanfare, the Japanese boxed treats were a hit in Dallas.

To pre-order for pickup, log in and register on the official site.

news-you-can-eat openings

hands up

Casual Houston sushi restaurant unrolls third location in Spring Branch

Photo by Studio Rivera

Handies Douzo opens in Spring Branch on Monday, August 18.

Spring Branch’s growing roster of restaurants and bars will add another inner loop favorite next week. Handies Douzo will officially open its third Houston-area location on Monday, August 18.

Located near establishments such as Saigon Hustle and the Blue Lagoon Club at 9936 Westview Dr., the new Handies follows the successful formula of the restaurant’s other locations in Montrose and the Heights. Diners sit at a 26-seat, U-shaped counter and order a Japanese-inspired menu of hand rolls, sashimi, and crudos.

Protein options include salmon, tuna, scallop, and kani. Vegetarians may opt for avocado or mushroom. Those looking to splurge can add caviar or opt for uni. Beverage choices include wine, sake, beer, tea, and soda.

Handies is part of Duckstache Hospitality. Founded by chefs Daniel Lee and Patrick Pham in 2019 with Kokoro Hand Roll Bar in Bravery Chef Hall, the group has grown to include Aiko, a sushi restaurant on Washington Avenue; Himari, a sushi restaurant in the Heights; and Doko and Bar Doko, a restaurant and Japanese cocktail bar in the Autry Park mixed-use development. Most recently, the group opened Kokoro Handroll Bar in The Woodlands Waterway.

The restaurant’s opening was delayed by about a week when unknown vandals illegally dumped construction materials in its parking lot. Still, Duckstache is eager to meet Spring Branch residents.

“Spring Branch is an area we’ve had our eye on for a long time,” Duckstache COO Martin said in a statement. “There are a lot of exciting things happening in the neighborhood, and we’re looking forward to adding our high-quality handrolls to the mix.”

Handies Douzo Spring Branch will be Sunday-Wednesday, 11 am-10 pm, and Thursday-Saturday, 11 am-11 pm. Reservations are available via OpenTable.

Photo by Studio Rivera

Handies Douzo opens in Spring Branch on Monday, August 18.

news-you-can-eat openings handies douzo spring branch