Pan Grill Sandwich Shop

Anyone else sad that this place closed? I AM! After my 13 miles running around SF a few weeks ago, I was starving. It was a gorgeous day in SF and what did I have a hankering for that I hadn’t had since October and that I totally deserved after I died on the streets of SF… it was the hanger steak sandwich. I eagerly searched and scoured Unilocal trying to find this place but alas… no hit. Then my heart sunk like the Titanic. Could it be? No it can’t! I refuse to believe this place was closed. We had to eat elsewhere to my discontent.
This place was a hidden gem. A grab and go to enjoy while lounging on The Embarcadero. The meats so juicy and flavorful. The wrapper was ingenious. A little food diaper as my food baby would spill its contents into it.
No more food babies from this place. Hopefully they do bring this place back. I can only relive them through photos now and in my fantasies…

I did enjoy elements of my meal here but it was a HASSLE to get to. As a local, I hardly ever willingly go to the embarcadero except for the Ferry Plaza farmer’s market. And, the boyfriend and I stupidly decided to try Pan Grill Sandwich Shop on the Sunday of President’s Day weekend. So parking was a bit of a challenge to say the least, but shame on me for thinking parking would be easy on a Sunday afternoon in that neighborhood.
Other than the parking nightmare, this is located as part of Butterfly Restaurant, but as a takeout side entrance. There is no seating, but you can sit in the Alcatraz Café, which is just a few steps out the door and to the left. Service was friendly and helpful.
We started with the yaki tots, where are really just rice cubes, fried. They were good and stayed crunchy as time went on.
The pulled pork kimchi sandwich was just okay. It needed some brightness, like more vinegar or citrus, but I was not insulted by it whatsoever. The buns are definitely great and I could see why people buy them to take home.
We also tried the steak niku bowl with forbidden rice (black rice). The meat was tasty and I loved the black rice option because I always like an exotic grain, but it was definitely lacking a vegetable component. The two pickles they give you in a to-​go container on the side were god awful. Really bitter and sour, but maybe I just had a bad batch.
I really don’t think I’d come here again unless I was already strolling the embarcadero.

Great food and Staff

Tried the chicken tsukune sandwich.
First star for the sandwich buns.
Crunchy outside, fluffy inside. Better than any baked bao I’ve had before.
Second star for the tasty and unique use of tsukune. Usually served skewered, grilled and sometimes sauced, I enjoyed the flavors of just the tsukune mixture.
Third star for the fresh mixture of greens and carrots in the sandwich.
Fourth star — loved the Sriircha pickles. Not a fan of things too spicy.
Fifth and final star– I thought the packaging was adorable and very effective. It kept the sandwich from falling apart and looked like steamed bao.
Going back next time I’m in SF. So worth it!

Look out for Butterfly restaurant and Pan Grill Sandwich Shop’s door will be on the right-​hand side. I was able to locate it by the easel board sign out front.
I tried the hanger niku steak and pork katsu sandwiches ($ 7 each), both of which were delicious. The steak was very flavorful and tender, and the pork katsu paired so well with what I think was pear! And the buns! Slightly sweet and ohh so fluffy and fresh. I also got an order of the yaki tots ($ 5) which are jumbo rice tots with a japanese flair. I wish I added the poke on top for $ 3. I’ll save that for next time.
Service was friendly. It does take some time for your items to be made so have some patience when waiting. Also, it’s take-​out only so good luck finding somewhere to sit and eat along the Embarcadero.

Pork Katsu sandwich? Only $ 7 you say? YES PLEASE!
Amazing. This was one of the «must go to» spots on our list when we went to SF. I really liked the Pork Katsu sandwich but my friend got both the pork katsu and the hangar steak niku and in comparison he chose the hangar steak niku. Both are delish but I suppose the steak had more flavor. Not sure if it’s a pesto that they put in it but the sauce was SO good. And the milk buns? SO GOOD. Slight hint of sweet.
No line really. It’s right next to Butterfly and its pretty small so it’s easy to miss. I absolutely adore the wrapping style they use on the sandwiches!
Lemonade was whatevers.
Iced tea was good. I think it was a passion fruit flavor.
Will be back to try the Tsukune sandwich!

Sam is a real admirable chef and owner. He treats his customers not as one-​time buyers of his products, but as long-​term supporters of his business. He greeted us very shortly after we walked in and before taking our order, let us sample his house made spicy sauce for the Spicy Chicken Momo sandwich. If that hadn’t made me feel welcome, it was letting us try a sample of tuna poke for the Yaki Tots that did the work.
He provided honest recommendations, even outright saying that one of his newer sandwiches wasn’t the best and recommended others instead — who does that?
The Yaki Tots + Tuna floored me with how good it was. The sauce was tangy and sweet, the rice tots were perfectly fried, and the tuna oh so fresh. Definitely order the tots, with or without the tuna.
The Spicy Chicken Momo had great individual components — the milk bread was soft and buttery, the chicken was tender, and the sauce was great when I had it in a sample cup. However, with everything added together I couldn’t quite taste the sauce or couldn’t fully enjoy the sandwich. I would recommend to reduce/​remove the mayo and add more spicy sauce.
The Pulled Pork Kimchi had a similar issue — great meat and bread, but sadly couldn’t taste the kimchi.
I will definitely come back, if not for the burgers, then for the Yaki Tots!
Note: other than two chairs, there is nowhere to sit here. This is strictly a takeaway sandwich shop.

First initial reaction when walking in… those are some sweet lookin’ buns.
My sister told me about this little pop up located inside Butterfly at Pier 33. She had really high ratings for this place and told me to check it out before they close.
Hanger steak– Steak was tender. It could’ve used more sauce and more meat.
Pork Katsu– Fried perfectly. Not greasy at all. Bun to meat ratio was dead on.
Fresh squeezed lemonade– Refreshing.
I love sandwiches so I’m glad I got to try these Japanese fusion sandwiches.

The guy who took our orders was great. He was obviously very excited about the food and what they had to offer and made everything on the menu sound awesome. We tried the katsu curry, and I kind of wished I’d followed up asked about the «sweet potato curry» since it turned out, yes, it was sweet potato chunks in the curry. And the curry was not the dark, rich, standard Japanese curry, but rather a lighter coconut based curry that was more like a Thai curry. Our friends also noted there wasn’t enough sauce. The katsu seemed a little tough, too.
I LOVE that they have fresh baked buns here. They do a great job tempting you with them, setting them out for you to see. They are some freaking awesome buns… We had to get a steak niku sandwich to try the bun… and I’m really glad we did because that was delicious. There was plenty of meat and it was tender and flavorful. It made me wish I’d gotten the bowl. We also got some yuzu lemonade which was phenomenal. I wish that was a common offering at other places because it is so amazingly good. I’m going to have to try to make that at home now…

I’m always a fan of any sandwich that has some kind of Asian Fusion twist to it. Pan Grill Sandwich Shop specializes in Japanese fusion sandwiches and bowls. I decided to try them one day after my morning Trikke workout at the Embarcadero. They’re located in the same location as Butterfly restaruant at Pier 33.
Of course after a workout, I came super hungry and ordered two sandwiches:
Hanger Niku Sandwich —
Smashed Tsukune Sandwich –
I love how their buns are made in-​house. They’re sweet and definitely make a huge difference with the filling in the sandwiches. Surely, the one to get is the Hanger Steak Niku. The hanger steak is marinated very well and was very tender and not too chewy. The Smashed Tsukune, which is essentially contains a ground chicken and shiitake mushroom patty, is pretty good as well, but mine came out a little dry. Both sandwiches had a nice balanced ratio of meat to veggies to bread.
The sandwiches are solid and their prices are very reasonable ($ 7 – 8) for what you get. I would love to come back and try their bowls. Definitely stop by for a bite if you’re walking along the Embarcadero.

WOW. I rarely give 5 star reviews, but yesterday at Pan Grill I had one of the 2 best sandwiches I’ve had in 8 years in SF. And it was normal sandwich size, not tiny! And it only cost $ 7!
My first time I wanted to try everything on the menu but finally settled on the special — a curried sweet potato croquette sandwich. The panko-​breaded patty was piping hot, crisp, and seasoned mildly with curried spices. The mild curry flavor was balanced with a slightly sweet, crunchy cabbage slaw, and the patty was topped with fresh tomato slices and pea shoots. And as others have pointed out, the milk bun was incredible — fluffy, a tad sweet, with a crust that cracked slightly when you bit into it. I was thrilled that this sandwich was refreshing, as it could have easily felt very heavy if the curry flavor had been too overpowering or if there were not all the fresh vegetables to balance it out.
On my second visit I ordered the hangar steak niku sandwich. The steak was well cooked and well seasoned, the pea shoots used were harvested right before our eyes when we ordered, but the teriyaki-​like sauce was a little too overpowering for me since I don’t enjoy sweet sticky sauces. My friend had the kimchee pulled pork sandwich and it also had both sweet and savory elements. Overall, I enjoyed the potato croquette sandwich best because the panko contributed an additional textural complexity, and I’m convinced the pork katsu sandwich must also be superb. My friend also tried the onigiri and wow, the photos posted on Unilocal do not do those justice! For $ 4, they are not just rice wrapped in seaweed — they are also panko breaded, then topped with scallions, bonita flakes, and roe. Beautiful presentation, even in a to-​go box!
In addition to amazing food made with fresh ingredients at ridiculously affordable prices, the service was excellent. The cashier provided knowledgeable descriptions of the menu items and the chef thanked us for visiting. There is also a takeout seating area along the pier out back with 4 tables of 2.
Apparently they are open through the end of this year, and maybe in January… it all depends on if they can find a more permanent location. So come check this place out while you still have the chance!

I’ll go with the flow and give this place a 5 as a hidden gem.
A big and delish sandwich for $ 7 is a winner for me. The crispy katsu — the spicy sweet (a hint of apple) slaw on that milk bun was a winner. and call me crazy (many people do) I LOVED the way they wrapped the sandwich to look like a giant piece of dim sum.
(TIP: I took my sammy over to the Alcatraz boat landing about 80 feet away and had a nice picnic table on the wharf.)
Rock on Pan grill.

OMG this place is freaking awesome!
I’ve been dying to trying it out for almost a month now, so I went a little overboard. I ordered the Pork Katsu, the Kimchi Pulled Pork, and the Ikura Yaki Onigiri for under $ 20. For some reason, for the next hour, I kept saying things like «nomz» and making faces like O. o and v (^_^)v.
They have a wonderful location with beautiful views walking distance from my apartment. This will quickly become a weekend tradition.

REVIEW #168 – wishing this amazing new business the best of luck that superstition would allow.
[BACKGROUND]
I heard about Pan Grill from my cousin, who told me that her friend was experimenting with a new food concept. It’s a bit far for me, but after seeing the phenomenal **5 star Unilocal average** along with the mouth-​watering pictures, I decided to run 6 miles to try it out, and it was worth every step.
[FOOD]
I tried the Hanger Steak Niku Donburi (~$ 9), which I would highly recommend. You get several thick juicy slices of steak, which is very tender and good quality. I don’t know anything about steak cuts, but I looked it up and hanger is fancy stuff. It’s marinated in a delicious teriyaki sauce (not the typical out-​of-​the-​bottle teriyaki sauce used at most restaurants), sprinkled with sesame, and also has a dab of what seems like chimichurri sauce.
On top is a bed of microgreens – yup, the sprout things that high-​class restaurants always use as garnishes to make dishes look expensive. Under the steak, there’s a layer of sliced shallots that adds a nice crunch (or maybe they are onions. I’m not enough of a foodie yet to be able to tell).
All this is served over a choice of white rice or forbidden rice. Omg. Usually it’s just white rice or brown rice, but Pan Grill has black rice! And it’s not a few skimpy grains of black rice diluted in white rice, it’s a heaping bowl of all black rice. And there is no extra cost! I guess this awesomeness is forbidden everywhere else, except at Pan Grill.
My only complaint is that one of the steak pieces was very tough, but maybe I was just unlucky. Also, more veggies would be nice but I think that’s just me, as most people would be elated with the generous portions of meat and carbs.
I’ve also tried the Ahi Tuna Poke ($ 10), but I like the steak more. The amount and quality of tuna sashimi are alright, but not mindblowingly amazing like the steak. It comes with microgreens, onions, cucumbers, and avocado – sort of like a deconstructed sushi bowl.
Their sandwiches are made with milk buns that are made from scratch. Milk buns are a Japanese bread that’s a bit more buttery and sweet. I saw a row of beautiful shiny golden milk buns at the counter, and I was sad that I would have to wait until next time I come back to try a milk bun in a sandwich. When I asked though, it turns out they sell plain milk buns to-​go for $ 1.50! I was expecting at least $ 3.50ish, which is what most snobby novelty cafes would charge for pastries. I toasted it lightly for dinner. It was perfect: light, fluffy, satisfying – even pastries from highly esteemed Asian bakeries dull in comparison.
[AMBIANCE]
Pan Grill is a hole-​in-​the-​wall in every sense except that it’s not dinky and dirty. It’s actually a portion of a kitchen of the Butterfly restaurant with a small counter for take-​out orders. You’ll see a sign on the sidewalk, but otherwise it’s easy to miss. Since it’s inside such a classy restaurant, everything looks very nice and you can admire the interior design as you wait for your order. Service was very friendly and reasonably fast.
I don’t think there are any tables, and I actually had to walk all the way back towards the Exploritorium to find a bench to eat at. There may be better and closer spots to eat if you explore the other side.
[CONCLUSION]
Must try!!! I liked this place so much that Unilocaling it made its way to the top of my priority list – this review is fresh off the (Pan) Grill!

One of the most unique and yummy sandwiches I’ve had so far. I highly recommend the hanger steak niku sandwich on their fluffy homemade milk buns. Although I wish the meat was cut into more bite sized pieces, it was nicely marinated and tender. They also added sesame seeds, sliced onions, alfalfa sprouts, and chimichurri sauce inside… who knew this fusion could be so good? Be sure to try the yuzu lemonade, too!
Prices are cheaper than most of the meals you’ll find around the area:
Sandwiches $ 7, Donburi $ 8 – 9, Yaki Onigiri $ 4, Drinks $ 3
On top of that, the people working there were super friendly. Nothing to complain about this place. Located next to the Butterfly Restaurant on its to-​go side @ Pier 33.

Oishii! Quaint new pop-​up bursting with great flavors, brought to you by Chef Sam of Butterfly. Not only is it very affordable (especially in the area that it’s in), but it’s yummy in your tummy comfort food fuzing bold Japanese and Hawaiian flavors. I’ve been wanting to come here since they’ve first debut on 10/​9, but since I no longer work downtown, it’s hard for me to make it out here on the weekdays. Thankfully, they offer great weekend hours as well so the hubby and I decided to finish the Niners game and make our way down to the Embarcadero on a Sunday afternoon.
Traffic was in our favor. We made it there, found parking, and placed our order with some time to spare. Lucky for us, we even got to meet Chef Sam himself, who was super chill and shared w/​us his vision for this pop-​up sandwich shop. We talked about the creative flavor combinations on his menu. Pan Grill have limited the selections to 3 – 4 items per section (Sandwich, Salad, Donburis), but everything sounds so good that it was hard to decide. Chef Sam and the cashier both made some great suggestions on their more popular items. We finally decided on the Hanger Steak Niku Sandwich and the Curry Pork Katsu Donburi w/​a poached egg (+$ 1) on forbidden black rice. We were eyeing the Ikura Yaki Onigiri too, but was a bit worried it was too much food.
All the dishes were outstanding and the portions were very generous too. Chef Sam definitely makes each of his dishes with a lot of aloha and never once skimps on his ingredients. In fact, the sandwich was a bit messy to eat because he loaded it with so much meat (no complaints here at all, it was delicious!). The fluffy milk bun the sandwich was made on made it all that much enjoyable, it was freshly baked and reminds me of the ones I’ve had in Japan, an extra plus! :).
To our surprise, Chef Sam must have heard us contemplating about the onigiri cuz in our bag, he threw in an order of the Yaki Onigiri for us to try. What a totally awesome gesture on his part! It’s a great feeling to dine at a place where the chef is not only passionate about his food but also his customers. That alone is worth making a trip back here!
His food truly sells itself, but with winter fast approaching, the delicious donburis are the perfect way to go if you are seeking something to keep you warm. With the option of either white or forbidden (black) rice, the bowl was insanely delicious. Our curry katsu don was not too sweet or spicy, it was the perfect addition to a typical chilly Sunday in SF. Since they do share the same kitchen space as Butterfly next door, take outs are the only option available right now. Don’t let that discourage you though, you are only a few steps away from Pier 39 and can literally find plenty of spots to sit along the Embarcadero.
Although this sandwich shop is set to run only until November 10^th, I really hope Chef Sam will consider keeping his tasty concept around. I’m a big fan of food trucks and all, but for the amount of food you get at Pan Grill and the price you pay, this is a much more viable option if you are hunting for another lunch option in the area. Cheers to good food!

Pork katsu sandwich (ポークカツサンドイッチ)
Wow, this was one of the best sandwich I had in a while. It reminded me of katsu sandwich I used to get in Japan, but tasted even better. The milk bun they use tastes very fresh as I believe they make these from scratch everyday. Katsu was the best it can be — Crispy and not oily. The slaw had apple, hot pepper, onion, pepper, etc and it complemented the Katsu really well. Sauce was simple but as good as it gets too. The chef was enthusiastic about the recipe and he was eager to hear our opinion.
This place overall made me feel really good about trying out new restaurants in SF.
Price is lower than typical lunch price you can get around this area. Still… the portion is quite big!

Pan Grill Sandwich Shop is without question the best hidden gem in SF.
Just steps away from the hideous /​outrageously expensive tourist traps of Pier 39 is this sweet little lunch spot (in Pier 33).
I went to Pan Grill Sandwich shop with my girlfriend and we ordered:
* Pork Katsu Sandwich
* Hanger Steak Niku Donburi (on forbidden rice) with poached egg
* Oniguri
* Yuzu Lemonade
* Mango Ice Tea
I have to say — it was one of the best meals I’ve ever had, and I’ve eaten at several Morimoto’s and Gordon Ramsey’s restaurants, not to mention French Laundry and a few other fancy places — but even ignoring the large price discrepancy (this place is cheap!), Pan Grill Sandwich Shop ranks right up there on taste alone.
The Pork Katsu sandwich is a balanced, but meaty sandwich. When you take your first bite, you’ll get some of the soft fresh baked bun, followed by the sweetness of apples and the crunch of perfectly cooked pork katsu. It all meshes together in this perfect sweet and savory blend. It’s a BIG sandwich so you’ll get full on it (try to find another place that’ll fill you on $ 7 in or around Pier 39). Unlike most big sandwiches, it’s not at all messy. Big sandwiches also tend to be very one-​note but this sandwich kept getting better with every bite. I’m not going to spoil the surprises for you (beyond the apple) but I’ll definitely order another.
The Hanger Steak Niku Donburi is also a must have. The steak was well seasoned, juicy, perfectly cooked, and plentiful. Top it off with a (optional) perfectly poached egg, served on top of forbidden rice, and you have a killer rice plate that rivals (and tops) just about any japanese /​chinese place in SF. Definitely get the forbidden rice over the white rice — the few places I’ve tried that offered forbidden rice tend to under cook the rice, and forbidden rice is not meant to be al dente. This shop cooks it perfectly — the rice is moist but not mushy and really picks up the flavor of the steak and egg.
The Oniguri is hands down the best Oniguri I’ve ever had. I’ve tried Oniguri at Morimoto’s and at a few michelin star Japanese restaurants, and those do not compare. The rice balls are fried perfectly — crispy and in no way greasy, topped with incredibly fresh salmon roe. Tip: don’t try to cut it with a fork and knife — bite into the oniguri to get the full crunch and effect.
It’s easy to forget about the drinks but be sure not to. Their yuzu lemonade is far better than your typical lemonade. Usually lemonade’s made to be way too sweet. Because they use yuzu, it’s far more drinkable and it doesn’t kill your palate. The mango iced tea is also a winner. Most iced teas I’ve had are pretty tannic after a few sips, the mango iced tea here is really spot on — it’s refreshing and not at all tannic.
If there’s one complaint I have it’s that it’s really hard to find the Pan Grill Sandwich shop. It’s in the take out area of Butterfly restaurant, but it’s not actually part of Butterfly restaurant. When we went to Pan Grill, there was a short line to get in (word’s getting out!). I noticed that a lot of passerby’s were going over to Butterfly to look at their menu to see what the fuss was. I’m guessing they were actually interested in going to Pan Grill but didn’t realize they’re two separate places.

We just tried Pan Grill last weekend for the first time.
Given the name Pan Grill, I didn’t know what to expect… was the food cooked in pans? Was it Pan-​Asian (shudder)? Was the owner’s name Pan? Oh, the mystery!
(UPDATE: I guess it turns out «pan» means bread in Japanese. I guess that solves that…)
As it turns out, Pan Grill is a sort of Japanese (inspired?) deli. It’s a takeout counter nestled off to the side of Butterfly on Embarcadero that serves sandwiches, salads, and rice bowls.
When we arrived, there was a line out the door, which wasn’t a shock on a busy Sunday afternoon on Embarcadero. Don’t be fooled — the line is shorter than it looks as the counter is right inside of the door, and it moves pretty quickly.
The menu is satisfyingly simple. I hate going to a restaurant where I feel like I“m going to pull a muscle lifting a 50 pager (looking at you, Cheesecake Factory). There are 4 – 5 sandwiches, 3 – 4 salads, 3 – 4 rice bowls, and exactly one side dish (Onigiri).
We ordered:
— Pork Katsu Sandwich
— Pulled Pork Kimchi Sandwich
— Hanger Steak Rice Bowl with black forbidden rice and a poached egg
— Onigiri
— a Yuzu Lemonade Arnold Palmer
The food was delicious. They make their buns from scratch, and the bread is delicious — I think it is a type of egg bun? The sandwiches all come with nice pickled mini-​cucumbers, which are really refreshing after all the savory flavors in the sandwiches.
The pork katsu was crispy and delicious, and while I can’t remember what-​all-​else was in the sandwich, suffice to say it was all the right stuff. Everything blended together well and within moments the sandwich was gone, and me, my mom, and my wife were all left staring accusingly at each other wondering who ate more than her share.
The pulled pork kimchi sandwich was right up my alley. At first I was leery of too strong of a kimchi taste, but it didn’t overwhelm the pork at all. The pork itself was moist and tasty. This seemed like a perfect picnic sandwich.
The hangar steak bowl was probably our least favorite main course, but only because it didn’t come with that delicious bread. The steak itself was well cooked and well seasoned, and comes in generously cut medallions. The bowl came with lots of rice, which was well cooked and fluffy and paired well with the runny yolk of the poached egg. There wasn’t much more in the bowl than the steak, egg, rice, and a few gratuitous greens thrown in for color, but what else do you need?
The onigiri side dish was a big hit. My 2 year old daughter, who generally refuses to eat anything that doesn’t rhyme with rice dream, ate our entire first order by herself. So we had to go get back in line to get another order for the grown ups.
The onigiri is rice wrapped in… seaweed…and then deep-​fried, making a crispy gooey little pyramid. They put a bunch of exciting things on top like salmon eggs and scallions, and serve it with a nice (ponzu?) dipping sauce that is salty and also has a bit of vinegar to cut through all the gooey deep-​fried rice stuff. Maybe I’m making that up — I can’t remember too much about the sauce, but it went well with the dish. Bottom line — this is a food that toddlers will eat, and is great for grown ups too!
The yuzu lemonade arnold palmer was tasty and refreshing. I have no idea what yuzu is, but it makes lemonade taste goooood. They also served coke in glass bottles, which was tempting, but I stayed strong and managed to avoid indulging.
At $ 7 – 9 per dish, this is probably as affordable as you’ll get in that part of San Francisco. I imagine they will do very well with the business crowd for lunch. I used to work just across the street at Lombard and Embarcadero and would have killed to have this as a lunch option. I also think that this food would do quite well with folks who want to go have a picnic or grab a bite to munch on by the bay somewhere.
As a bit of an odd aside, I was very impressed with the quality of the red plastic bags they put your orders in — they are very brightly colored and seem sturdy. Perfect for picnic-​ing.
The staff was extremely friendly, although they did seem a bit overwhelmed by the rush when I was there. They take the time to confirm each item of the order when they give you the food, which is nice — so many takeout disasters will likely be avoided by this simple, thoughtful act. Is anything more debilitating than the decision of whether to go back to get a takeout order corrected?

Pan Grill Sandwich Shop has popped up to serve lunch takeout at Butterfly. Both are helmed by the same exec chef. Even though I live blocks away, I’ve never actually eaten at Butterfly; the closest I’ve been to actually going inside was when there was a night event there.
Pan Grill serves Asian fusion sandwiches and donburi. I ordered one of each:
Hanger Steak Niku on white rice ($ 8) with poached egg (+ $ 1) — Two stars
My friends thought the steak sandwich was good, but my steak seemed under-​seasoned, especially over white rice. I think that either a little more salt or some sort of sauce on this would have helped with the rice, since it doesn’t have the condiments and extras that the sandwiches have, not to mention that the bun itself has its own flavors. It was cooked to a perfect medium rare, however, so points for that.
Smashed Tsukune Chicken Meatball sandwich ($ 7) on a scratch-​made milk bun with side pickle — Five stars
Delicious! The pickled veggies’ acidity offsets the sweetness of the milk buns nicely. The meat was well-​seasoned. It did remind me of Asian fusion food truck favorites like Koja Kitchen, JapaCurry and Chairman Bao (now just The Chairman); more so the latter due to their baked buns (worth noting that of these types of buns/​sandwiches, Pan Grill’s were the least oily). I think that in that vein, Pan Grill would do well as a food truck. That would get lots of foot traffic in various parts of the city and the bay as part of Off the Grid or SOMA StrEat Food Park, and it just makes sense for the menu and prices they currently offer. I can’t imagine going to a storefront for sandwiches and this type of donburi for dinner, at least not regularly, unless they plan to expand the menu. Well, maybe they could be an Asian fusion «burger» joint. If they do expand the menu, I would love to see them partner up with Delise and serve those desserts.
Service — Three stars
It’s a takeout spot, so there isn’t much service to speak of or expect, but I ordered the pork katsu sandwich (I even asked the guy taking my order whether the pork katsu was the signature sandwich, and a response in the affirmative was what made my decision) and instead got the tsukune chicken sandwich. Luckily, it tasted good so no complaints about that, but there’s definitely room for improvement on service. I had already left Butterfly before I realized this, but I don’t think I would’ve sent it back anyway given the wait time. I’ve been back a few times now without issues, so guess it was a one-​time thing.
I hope when Pan Grill finds a permanent home, that it also finds a catchier name; yes, pan is bread in Spanish and Japanese, but when followed by the word «grill» it makes me think of the verb. And pan-​grilled fish or some other pan-​grilled protein. It also reminds me of Pablo Francisco’s bit on Jackie Chan (PAN!):
All in all, I’ll definitely come back and I look forward to seeing where these sandwiches end up in a permanent (or mobile?) home.
*** Round 2 ***
Had to come back and try the one that got away.
Pork Katsu sandwich ($ 7) on a scratch-​made milk bun with side pickle — Three and a half stars
Pork katsu was tasty. The panko adds a nice crunch to the sandwich. The jalapeño paired with pickled veggies reminded me of banh mi, in a good way. I think I like the chicken a little more because I preferred the flavors and daikon sprout in that sandwich over the pork’s toppings of pickled white onion and honshu pear.