Egg Salad sandwich from Konbi — Excited for Konbi Culver City

*Egg salad sandwich is pictured here*

01/22/23 Update - Konbi Culver City and Silverlake are now CLOSED (sobs) .

Leaving this post up in memory that they did it right and did it their way. I look forward to the next iteration of Konbi and to whatever ventures they do next.

Konbi, best known for their Instagram-worthy Japanese egg sandwich (NYTimes recipe is here), is coming to Culver City (dropping next to Go Get ‘Em Tiger cafe, yahh). I hopeful their 2022 grand opening will happen soon.

Their current Echo Park galley restaurant as been operating as a walk-up window during covid times. Pre-covid, it launched as a compact, 10-seater lunch counter.

From the looks of it, their Culver City storefront location has been under construction for 10+ months. No opening date has been announced (I’m on the edge of my seat). Located in the heart of Culver City downtown, a stone’s throw away from the Amazon’s Culver Steps development (which is home to Mendocino Farms, Philz Coffee, Salt & Straw ice cream and an upcoming new build of Erewhon Market)— it’s sure to attract a lot of foot traffic.

Under construction konbi Culver City restaurant front — *Under construction, Konbi Culver City storefront, next to Go Get ‘Em Tiger Cafe, as of November 2021*

Reasons to get excited for Konbi Culver City:

It’s the brainchild of Momofuku alumni - Akira Akuto and Nick Montgomery
For what it’s worth, it was the number one American restaurant of 2019 , as named by Bon Appetit (national wide recognition!)
Japanese convenience store food with a twist - I love Japan
Quality egg sandwiches! Eggs are flavored with dashi, mirin (rice wine vinegar), mustard and white soy sauce - and bread is layered with Kewpie mayonnaise. Perfect blend of sweet and savory.
French Pastries - they have a dedicated pastry chef who has articles waxing and waning about their popular chocolate croissants (aka, a labor of love) and their caneles (rum and egg custardy goodness). Croissants are made in-house with quality butter, using a repurposed ceramic slab machine (how innovative).

Potato salad from Konbi — *Potato salad with crunchy togarashi bits and the Jonah Crab Salad in the background*

Konbi is My New Favorite Sandwich

What do I think of Konbi sandwiches? I headed into it thinking their reputation was overblown. But once I ate the Egg Salad sandwich, the Jonah Crab Salad sandwich and tried their potato salad with togarashi, it knocked my socks off!

They hands down, won me over. My favorite was the Crab Salad sandwich, as they toasted and buttered the bread - so you get that greasy, fatty goodness. The crab had a perfect blend of smoky umami - pretty sure I can inhale five more sandwiches in one sitting (so good). Overall flavors were a blend of tangy, vinegar-y, sweet, salty and umami (depending which sandwich you get). Wow! I’m so impressed!

Price point was not cheap - for two sandwiches and a side - I added a tip and they added the health care worker tax - so totaled just north of $40.00. However, SO GOOD - so I will be back. It captures LA so perfectly. It’s not every city you can find the best Japanese egg sandwich that’s casual cool, elevated and attainable.

3/21/2022 Update - Konbi’s IG says they’re hiring (again!). Is the time near or do they just need to backfill due to turnover? On the edge of my seat! No set grand opening date yet; me thinks they’ll announce it once it’s open and do a soft-ish opening :).

1/25/2022 Update- Konbi’s IG says they’re hiring! Could it be they are inching closer to opening the Culver City location? Exciting!

Excited to learn more what their Culver City menu will be; for now - sharing their Sunset Blvd Food Menu so we can get our daydream on:

Konbi Sunset Blvd Food Menu — *Food Menu - Konbi Sunset*

*Konbi Sunset Blvd, food menu in JAN 2022*

And there’s more Konbi content

Konbi’s official Instagram
Check out Insider’s video with some BTS clips making the sandwiches (inspiring me to maybe try to re-create at home!)
Konbi’s official website (order online and pick up at their Sunset Blvd location)

07/2022 Update:

Liquor license signage posted! They are inching forward at a glacial pace and yet I continue to be on the edge of my seat. One wonders if they will do a soft opening and then that’s how we’ll find out it’s open - they literally open their doors and start serving?