This review is a couple of months overdue, but I had been craving this place ever since FoodieLand left Del Mar, and it definitely hit the spot! The customer service was great, the sandwiches were amazing, and everything tasted so fresh. I'll definitely be back to try the sushi and some of the other goodies on the menu! Couldn't be more pleased and I am so craving a sando right! :-) read more

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I like a good katsu sando more than most people and though I swear it tasted better at the previous location where I saw an old Japanese man prepping the food, it's still pretty good. I've been twice to the new location including its soft opening weekend. I would skip the somewhat overpriced spam musubi. It tasted good but it wasn't life-changing, which I sort of expected for the price. The couple times I went, I found the tables to be sticky so I'd watch out for that as well if you're dining in. The fruit sandos are good if that's your thing. I always find them to be too rich with all the cream and this place was no exception. I've tried all the savory sandos on the menu though, and they're solid. You really can't go wrong. The bobas are pretty good but don't compete with the elite boba shops like 3cat or momofuku. The corn hojicha is what I liked the most out of everything I've tried. Finally, service is average to above average. The person behind the register is usually a disinterested teenagers or 20-something employee but an older guy in the back, presumably a manager, tries hard to accommodate customer requests. So hats off to him. read more

Visit July 2026 My first time at their new location. More seats. Expanded menu including more plates, drinks, and sushi. I really enjoyed my sandos at the original site. Today's visit fell far short of my previous experiences. I always get the milk bread for my sandos. This time the bread seemed stale. My favorite sando was a spicy shrimp sando. They don't carry it anymore. So I tried their Coconut Curry Shrimp sando. First, I'm fairly sure I bit into a shrimp tail. Two, didn't like the coconut curry sauce. So sad. My daughter ordered the katsu curry plate. I didn't take a bit of her meal as I was trying to figure out what the heck happened with my sando experience. Drop that Coconut Curry and bring back the spicy shrimp. read more

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Came around 12:30 pm on a Saturday and there was no line to order. There's a couple tables but it was pretty packed with people constantly coming in. There's 2 self serve kiosks to order from and service was friendly and pretty quick. I would come back! -Pork katsu sando (4.5/5): tasty and nicely savory. Thick and juicy pieces of pork katsu! The pork was a little chewy and could be crispier but the cabbage and katsu sauce were good. The bread was soft and fluffy. My sister and I shared the sando as it was a pretty big portion -Miso salmon onigiri (4/5): the salmon was good and not too salty, rice was warm and soft -Banana matcha (4/5): the banana flavor was nicely sweet and not too overpowering, I was happily surprised I could taste the matcha. I didn't like the soft banana pieces in the drink tho read more

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Came on a Saturday around noon and it was pretty packed, we found a table but there was a people constantly coming in. Parking was a bit difficult. Ordered via the tablet. Service was quick and friendly. I would come back! Pork Katsu Sando (4/5): my sister and I shared it!. The pork was a little chewy and I would've liked it to be crunchier, but I liked the fluffy bread, the sauce and cabbage Banana Matcha (4.5/5): I've heard good reviews and I'm happy to say that I liked it! The matcha taste was surprisingly strong, and the banana flavor was nice and sweet. The one thing I didn't like was the soft, mushy pieces of banana in the drink Miso Salmon Onigiri (4/5): warm and fresh, and the rice was nice and soft. The miso salmon was yummy and there was a good amount of it read more

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From Japan memories to National City bites My best friend Johanna and I used to live in Japan in high school, and we would always grab onigiri, so we were beyond excited to see Ichiban Sando now open in National City! It brought back so many nostalgic memories. From the delicious onigiri to the fluffy egg sandos and tasty sushi bowls, everything was sooo oishii. And don't forget the drinks -- the yuzu and sticky mango are super refreshing too! If you love Japanese comfort bites, this spot is definitely worth checking out. Onigiri glad we found this place again! read more

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My wife found this place on IG and I wanted to try. We did the Grab and Go Fruit sandwich. Had good flavor, wife liked most of it. Didn't like the Matcha cream. We definitely want to go back when they have there Sushi. The service was great. The vibe was very nice as well. read more

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Came by with the hubby to grab a fruit sando to share. First time trying this type of sandwich. Very refreshing. Quick service & relaxing vibes. We just got a grab & go mixed fruit sando pack. Two of the fruit sandos had matcha cream & one had regular cream. The regular cream sando was my favorite. We can't wait to visit again to try some of their sushi. read more

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Lots of "New Location Growing Pains" so be aware, have grace and patience! End results were still worth it. We arrived to the new location on a Sunday evening at 5:30pm. Parking was easy, plenty of spaces in the strip mall area. But the banner says "JTown" so that might be a little confusing. Easy to spot as the line was out the door though. Wait wasn't terrible, but they have you self-order at the register via an iPad. At some points the iPad would glitch. They did run out of several things, including any egg Sandos and any pork items, which was a bummer but they at least made it known via an announcement and a handwritten note on the door. Unfortunately some other items would sell out and they couldn't update their inventory/ipad quick enough, so as we waited after placing our order, someone would come out from the kitchen and let us know they needed to provide a substitution. We were a very reasonable group, but also I'm sure there were price differences and we weren't refunded. The place is small inside with few tables, so if busy, be prepared to take it to go or eat in your car. Some people were just sitting to wait for their food though. It did take about 15 minutes to get our food, which wasn't terrible given how much we could see them struggling. Once we got our food, everything was good! Each sandwich was fresh, hot, and tasty. Our group got a few katsu options and X Garlic options. And the only fruit sando available was strawberries and cream, which was yummy. Difficult to eat given they use strawberry halves instead of strawberry slices so beware - it'll get messy. Their drinks were yummy too! Had the matcha strawberry and a jasmine milk tea. Will be back in the future once they have their service and processes down. Hopefully they'll be in stock on everything cuz I really want to try some egg sandos. Pricing is good for the amount you get. I could only get through one half of my sandwich, so got to the enjoy the rest as leftovers. The strawberries and cream was so perfectly tart and sweet. The bread is as perfectly fluffy and soft as you'd imagine. read more

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Ichiban Sando is a hole-in-the-wall restaurant with a Japanese-inspired menu of sandos, rice bowls, katsu, and onigiri. The specialty, of course, was their sandos made on their homemade milk bread, which sounds simple but was unbelievably and deliciously soft, fluffy, and chewy at the same time. The Sando Sampler A came with a nice variety of sandwiches including an X Garlic Bomb Chicken Katsu Sando with breaded chicken, shredded cabbage, black garlic sauce, and mayo; an Egg Salad Sando with egg salad and a soft-boiled egg; and a Mixed Fruit Sando made with whipped cream, strawberry, orange, pineapple, and kiwi. The breaded chicken katsu was perfectly crispy and went nicely with the black garlic sauce; and the Mixed Fruit Sando made for a nice light, sweet dessert. But my favorite sando was definitely the Egg Salad Sando, which was super creamy and delicious without being too decadent. Next, the Kimchee Chicken Sando was made of a double portion of chicken katsu, kimchi, and shredded red cabbage. The X Garlic Chicken Bowl came with chicken in their flavorful sweet black garlic sauce, served with rice and shredded cabbage. Finally, the Softshell Crab Egg Sando was made of soft scrambled egg, melted cheddar, and a deep-fried soft shell crab on extra thick slices of toasted milk bread, topped with creamy mayo. This sando was definitely the most decadent of the ones we tried (thanks to the cheese and mayo), and everything we had was flavorful and delicious. Overall, I'd highly recommend this small shop for their delicious Japanese-style sandos. The creations were quite decadent and came at a great value for the quality and presentation of the food! read more

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I went here this past Saturday around 4pm and it was steadily busy. The workers were helpful and my strawberry sando came out quick (I believe it's pre-made). Note: I had tried to come the night previous when they advertise to be open til 8pm but at 7:30, they were already closed The bread had a perfect chew, the strawberries were fresh and crisp with a good balance of sweet tartness and the cream was light and a perfect compliment to the bread and strawberries! Close to $9 is a little steep but to try once was a treat. read more

Ichiban Sando - Strawberry Fruit Sando - Bubble Tea Near Me - National City, California

Delicious sandwiches and the bread was soooo soft! My only gripe is that they put the spam inside the nori and NOT on top because it can easily fall off and you left with just a rice n seaweed. read more

Ichiban Sando - Put the spam inside the nori!! - Bubble Tea Near Me - National City, California

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Loved my sando from Ichiban Sando! I stopped by for lunch Saturday around noon and it wasn't crowded at all. Ambience is casual with a couple of small tables. They have a good variety of food options, not just sandos but also musubi, onigiri, sushi boxes, and a large variety of tea, coffee, and smoothie drinks. I couldn't decide on what to get, so I asked the guy at the counter what was popular, and he recommended the X garlic bomb sando and the shrimp katsu sando. I get the shrimp for $11.95 as well as a mixed fruit sando for $8.95. I got both in a to go box as I wasn't sure how much I would be able to finish, but ended up finishing both. The shrimp sando was delicious, though I may be biased as I love shrimp, and comes with two shrimp patties. It was my first time trying a fruit sando. It was good, but I think I'm just not used to eating fruit and cream with bread, so it was a bit hard to wrap my mind around. read more

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Coming back from Japan, I really missed the vibe and especially the food. I came across this spot in National City and wow! Tried the chicken katsu sando and the spam avocado egg sando. Both were amazing. They also have drinks and sushi. Super friendly staff who are willing to help and give you their recommendations. Try it out, you wont be disappointed. read more

Ichiban Sando - Bubble Tea Near Me - National City, California

The Sandos and Vietnamese coffee are pretty good. Pretty much what you would expect from the name and style of establishment. I've been a few times and enjoyed it everytime. The coffee is very strong and very sweet but that is the purpose. The service is fast and friendly. My only complaint would be that it is hot in there. The few times I have been it was very warm and not comfortable. I'm not sure if that has changed recently. I haven't been in a few months. read more

My son wanted to try out this place. We really wanted to like it. He got an egg sando and I had the fish sando. We both felt it was lacking in seasoning - needed salt and more sauce for me. My other son liked his chicken sando. My husband had no opinion on his fish sando. We didn't finish most of our sandos: We also got a strawberry sando - it was ok but we didn't finish it either. The tables were not wiped down and the place looked a little unkempt and thrown together. I hope they succeed in the long run. It will take a more conscious effort to make it look and taste competitive to the many local shops in National City. Keep working at it! read more

I found out about this spot a few weeks ago and have been back 3 times since my first visit. The chicken and pork katsu sandos are so crunchy but also perfectly moist, and the bbq sauce and cabbage add the perfect texture to complement the meat and soft milk bread. One sando keeps me full for the rest of the day which says a lot about the portion. The shop is very cozy and causal. I really appreciate that they have a self order station for folks that know what they want, but there's also a staff member available to take orders and answer questions. Super recommended this place! read more

Ichiban Sando - Pork Sando and Chicken Sando - Bubble Tea Near Me - National City, California

I'm vacationing in SD and was thrilled to find a sando shop. This place did not disappoint. I liked that they had several different flavors in addition to onigiri. I got the menchie, coconut curry shrimp, and spicy crab onigiri. Everything was great but my favorite was the menchie sando. The shop is on the small side and they have decent parking on the side of the building. Service was quick and efficient. read more

Ichiban Sando - curry shrimp sando - Bubble Tea Near Me - National City, California

Just got back from Japan and have been seriously missing it--this place really hits the spot! Japanese dishes are just next-level with flavor and creativity. The shrimp curry sando was so flavorful, with the perfect amount of filling in every bite. Super satisfying and definitely worth it. The strawberry fruit too was a nice touch--fresh, not overly sweet, and it balanced everything out really well. Can't wait to come back and try the spam musubi and sushi box! read more

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My fiancé and I had just come back from our Japan trip and were looking for something to curb our sando craving. We found this place through Yelp and it exceeded our expectations! We tried 2 sandos - the chicken katsu and kimchee chicken. They both came out hot, fresh, and very flavorful. It was also a pretty good size for the price. I also tried a corn coffee, which was very strong and had a great flavor too. While I'm sad that we didn't find them earlier before their upcoming move to National City, we will definitely visit their new location! read more

Very friendly and good Katsu Sando's here! I wish it wasn't so run down it could be nicer inside. That all Be we do like the Katsu pork and chicken Katsu You and it made fresh here read more

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I've been wanting to try this place for a while. And this place has been popping up on my TikTok's. And we finally were in the Chula Vista area. So, I went. This place is small. Has limited seating. I got the BOX C option - $30.95 1 Classic + 2 Special® Rolls + 1 Soda And a fruit Sando The sushi was good and flavorful. But this sushi was heavy on the rice. I hate that! A thick layer of rice in sushi always feels like filler. If I'm ever in the area agin I would definitely say light on the rice. read more

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Delicious Sando and Drink Spot! Absolutely delectable chicken katsu sando, felt like a reasonable price, and I would absolutely pay it again. This is a small place, has a lot for parking, doesnt seem very busy. The inside is a little warm but not bad. The workers seem very nice and took & made my order quick! I also got an egg coffee which was super yummy, wish it had a bit more egg but still great! read more

Food 3/5 - good but not amazing Service 3/5 - nothing special - order at the counter Ambiance - 3/5 - too hot inside Ordered the chicken katsu and egg sando and the coconut curry shrimp sando. They didn't really season the shrimp and also forgot to put any coconut curry in it so we had to ask for it. The coconut curry was good! They only had one small sauce dish left of the coconut curry apparently and ran out. It was 2pm when we came. Decent place to try if you're in the area but I wouldn't go out of your way to come. read more

Ichiban Sando - Chicken katsu and egg sando Coconut curry shrimp sando - Bubble Tea Near Me - National City, California

It's always comforting to see a steady stream of customers. Their sushi reminds me of sushi diner quality. Good for everyday sushi. My combo came with an edible flower and a soda. The garlic chicken Katsu sandwich needs more garlic flavor. All the fried items were nice and crispy. Too bad it's so far. read more

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Drove all the way out to Ichiban Sando to try their tonkatsu sando and egg sando--both were excellent. We also had the corn coffee, which was really yummy; I just wish the corn flavor came through a bit more, but it was still very good overall. They're also known for serving sushi in pizza boxes, and the table next to us was fully enjoying it. This is definitely a spot we'll come back to so we can try more of the menu. read more

My family and I have loved coming here since they opened. This time around, I went back and tried a different item - grilled chicken rice bowl. And when I tell you the chicken was so well done! I absolutely loved it. I appreciate the variety in the menu despite it being a small spot. And every meal I've had over the years tastes so fresh and delicious. I decided to give their pandan coffee a try. I personally didn't like it much. It was basically coffee with pandan foam but I didn't feel like the pandan flavor mixed as well with the coffee. It wasn't bad but not something I'd try again. I don't mind though - I'm really here for the food! The service is always great and the interior design is so cute - it's nice to sit down and eat here. read more

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The food is really good but the service is okay. Only go here if you have an exceptional amount of time to wait. Today made me pissed off though because I ordered on doordash ahead of time. So I come in expecting this to be ready but you could tell that something happened and they didn't even start the order yet because someone forgot to tell the kitchen staff. Whatever it was, they asked me to wait another 5-10 min but it took close to 30 minutes. I think they should not offer online orders if the system isnt reliable. read more

This was my first visit to the restaurant, and as a former Japan resident of 6 years, I was thrilled to find a nearby eatery serving Japanese-style sandwiches. However, I was very disappointed with the food. As you can see in the pictures, the chicken Katsu sando bread was very dry and stale. Chicken was bland and breading was soggy. Food was underwhelming. The service was average. We placed our order via tablet and didn't receive a greeting upon entering. read more

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I've been here a few times and tried some of their beverages and onigiri. One of my favorite is the mango sticky rice drink. I ordered the Hako all roll tray on 2/13 so my family would enjoy a sushi dinner on 2/14. It was my first time to try sushi here by Hako in Ichiban Sando National City. I came by to pick up the platter around 7:30pm (store closed at 8pm) and I was amazed how big and pretty the platter is. I was excited to take it home and share it with my family. Dinner time came and we enjoyed the variety of fresh sushi from the platter. There were free shrimp tempuras on top, pickled ginger, wasabi and seaweed salad as well. Everything was a hit! I'm glad to try this and will come back for sure and try their other food items. read more

Ichiban Sando - Hako All Roll Tray - Bubble Tea Near Me - National City, California

Staff were kind and the food was amazing! It doesn't get better than that! Food was already prepped in grab and go boxes! read more

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The taro boba was the only drink without caffeine, but I have finally learned my lesson that I find all taro drinks overly sweet. They tend to taste very little like taro root and more on the artificial side. The boba were much too soft as well. The soft shell crab and egg sando was fine. The egg was nicely done; it was cooked in an omelette style and rolled up. The soft shell crab was medium sized but no longer crispy after being sandwiched between some unnecessary sauces. The bread was thick and too dry for my preference. However, I did enjoy the fruit sando which came with fruit flanked by a light, semi-sweet cream and soft bread. read more

Ichiban Sando - Taro boba - Bubble Tea Near Me - National City, California

so good!! the sandwiches were perfect and I inhaled my cup of curry, it was so warm and flavorful. the shop itself is small, but we had no issue getting seating. can't wait to go back! read more

Ichiban Sando - Menchi Beef, Winter Melon Tea, side of curry - Bubble Tea Near Me - National City, California

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I would rate Ichiban Sando as solidly "okay". I had many of these types of sandwiches while visiting in Japan and was looking to replicate the experience back home. While my Egg Salad Sando & Mixed Fruit Sando were fine, they didn't quite scratch the itch. I also found them to be slightly pricey and the restaurant a bit run down. They also didn't have my first sandwich option for some reason so had to go with a second choice. Parking was easy in a lot to the side of the restaurant and customer service was also just OK. Unique food items that were fun to try but not sure I'll return here. read more

Ichiban Sando - Bubble Tea Near Me - National City, California

Loved the salmon onigiri wished I would have tried the other menu items. I also think it's pretty ridiculous that it requires you to have 85 characters for you to submit something but whatever. read more

Ichiban Sando - Salmon onigiri - Bubble Tea Near Me - National City, California

Always a favorite. Very generous with the fillings, fruit Sando is always so fresh. Egg salad is really well seasoned and the bread is always soft and fresh. Service is fast and the prices are very reasonable. They have a self ordering system now which adds to the convenience. Didn't like the boba too much. Floors and tables were sticky. Dining area was a little warm and smelled weird. Go for the sandos, don't stay for the meal. read more

Ichiban Sando - Sando Sampler A, katsu Pork Sando - Bubble Tea Near Me - National City, California

Came here on a sunny Wednesday afternoon for lunch and there was a moderate stream of customers coming in. The store itself is quaint and has a good vibe, kind of like a sando donut shop (friendly staff too)! I got the XGarlic Sando, it was juicy, and I particularly liked the balance of umami and sweet flavors it carried. Glad to say they don't sacrifice quality for the inexpensive price. I recommend this spot to anyone passing by read more

Ichiban Sando - XGarlic Pork Sando - Bubble Tea Near Me - National City, California

Is it this shop's intention to be inhospitable? It was my first time and I wasn't really expecting much. One coworker recommended it to me and so that's why decided to check it out. First of all the girl at the counter wasn't as helpful, even after mentioning it was my first time there and she just gave me the aforementioned "Gen-Z Stare," but with a plastered smile. Mind you, the place was empty and it was after lunch time so I wasn't expecting many people in there other than me ordering. No reason why she had to be so short with me. She wasn't rude but the whole interaction just seemed off. Once paying I felt like I had to wait outside for my order in the meantime since I didn't quite feel welcomed. When I went get my order it was some guy who came out with the most reticent appearance handing me my food and said nothing until I said thanks and gave a short smile. I ordered a chicken katsu sandwich. It was ok but I couldn't finish it since it kinda tasted and looked undercooked. It made me feel sick later. Also, halfway through eating I remembered seeing on the menu it having different kinds of bread options but the girl at the counter made no note of that. :( I probably wouldn't go back only because it's out of the way and I was only in chula vista for some late Halloween shopping and because the hospitality was so off-putting. read more

The food is BOMBBB. I would 10/10 recommend. Staff is very friendly. The place is very small unfortunately but great just for a quick bite :) read more

Ichiban Sando - Bubble Tea Near Me - National City, California

3.5/5 Stars Along H street in Chula Vista, one can find themselves Ichiban Sando, a quaint Japanese restaurant offering sandos, sushi, and more. Entering this establishment, one is greeted by nice staff in a small restaurant decorated with Japanese prints, banners, and art. You can order in person or on a tablet, but tablet is preferred since they are short staffed. However, if you are ordering, you must order in person. If I was leaving a rating on food alone, I would give this establishment 4/5 stars. Starting with the Sando Picnic Box A ($25.95), you get three tasty sandwiches, their CRUST OFF Version of 3 of their favorite Sando: Egg Salad Sando, Garlic Chicken Katsu Sando, Fruit Sando. Valued at $29.95. The Egg Salad Sando was okay at best. It was a simple egg salad sandwich that had nothing special to it. I was quite disappointed when I realized the advertised picture and what I got was different. The Egg Salad Sando that they advertise has a soft/hard boiled egg in the center of it, but what I received did not. The Garlic Chicken Katsu Sando was extremely tasty and my favorite of the three sandwiches. The garlic sauce paired with the fresh coleslaw gave the sandwich so much dimension. The chicken Katsu was very flavorful and was juicy and crispy. The Fruit Sando had strawberries and mangos in it, paired with a sweet and light cream. This was a great sweet Sando because the sweetness and softness of the bread paired well with what was contained in the Sando. The platter A of sushi was a great deal for around $25. With two rolls, one classic and one special , you get a total of 16 filling pieces of sushi, great for two people. The shrimp tempura was your classic tempura roll. It was nice and warm and had all the ingredients that make this a classic roll. The lava salmon roll was a great choice for those who like seared salmon. Filled with crab and cucumbers, this roll was topped with masago, salmon, and their sauces. Overall, the sushi was very tasty. The reason I rated this place 3 stars (really 3.5) is because of the wait time. It took about 30 minutes to receive our food. I also noticed that people who had ordered after me got their food before me. If it wasn't for the wait time, I would have rated this place higher. Ichiban Sando is a great place to go if you're looking for Japanese food options that are not as heavy or easily experienced in a to-go format. read more

Ichiban Sando - Sando Picnic Sampler A: Egg Salad Sando, Garlic Chicken Katsu Sando, Fruit Sando - Bubble Tea Near Me - National City, California

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