The Only Japanese Egg Salad Sandwich (“Tamago Sando”) Recipe You Will Ever Need

The Japanese egg salad sandwich has taken America by storm. Konbi, the little storefront near Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, was named the number one restaurant of the year by Bon Appetit for 2019; the “Egg Salad Sandwich” is its signature item. Other restaurants featuring Japanese-style egg salad sandwiches are popping up on both the east and west coasts.

And no wonder. The tamago sando (卵サンド) — literally “egg sandwich” — is a triumph of Japanese cuisine, an exquisite pairing of fluffy Japanese-style sandwich bread (“shoku-pan”) and the pure, unadulterated taste of eggs in all their glory. It is ubiquitous in Japan, mainly found in the “convenience stores” (conbini or コンビニ) which dot the country. Even the legendary Anthony Bourdaine tweeted about the “The Unnatural, Inexplicable Deliciousness of the Lawson’s egg salad sandwich”.

Tamago sando from a Japanese convenience store

There is no shortage of tamago sando recipes floating around — dozens, if not hundreds. We even have a recipe which is supposed to be the one used by Konbi. However, in my opinion every single one of these recipes is flawed, often seriously, in one way or another. After extensive research and…