In the Mission, people are lining up for these camera-ready sandwiches

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Tadaima didn’t expect its pillowy Japanese sandwiches — or  “sandos,” as they are known — to take the city by storm. But on July 31, day one of its soft opening, the little Mission district cafe was mobbed. Cameras were out. Tagging commenced.

The sandwiches seem to inspire the type of social media fervor produced only by something kawaii (Japanese for “cute” or “loveable”). They are indeed cheek-pinching.

“We did no marketing at all,” says Janet Lee, who opened the counter-service spot along with partners Master Lo, Perry You, and Ivan Yu. The foursome met while working at a sushi restaurant in Japantown. All they did to promote Tadaima was post a 15% discount offer on Instagram, along with the opening date. “We were expecting like 40 customers, but we did 180 tickets,” says Lee, clearly stunned. “The next day, we did like 200.”

It’s not as though sandos are new to SF. Inhabiting a squishy comfort zone somewhere between country-club tea sandwiches and a crustless kindergarten lunch, they made their debut here more than five years ago, in parallel with the matcha boom, at places like Stonemill Matcha. Eater just breathlessly reported that 7-Eleven (which, in Japan, is everyone’s go-to convenience store) is now carrying egg-salad sandos at a few locations in San Francisco. 

Lee and her partners also own Okaeri Japanese Bistro, a sushi spot next door that attracts “people in their 30s with kids.” She notes that Tadaima is bringing in a younger generation willing to travel — some driving from as far as San Jose. “Maybe it’s for content,” she says. “But I hope it’s for the quality.”

The effort is apparent. In addition to sandos, Tadaima’s short and sweet menu offers onigiri (the chicken curry is my favorite). At the counter, a little display case is full of prepared musubi, including a fun play on omurice, the viral omelet draped over fried rice. For it, layers of paper-thin egg are wrapped around rice and Spam, all topped with salty pork floss and served with a sweet, house-made tomato dipping sauce. It may be Japanese-inspired, but the flavor profile of egg, salty meat, and ketchup is also deeply American.

There are also drinks of the iced matcha latte kind, but you can up the ante with “salted cheese cream,” a popular topping in the boba world made of cream cheese, whipping cream, and sugar. Other flavor options include black sesame and even kinako, the nutty, roasted soybean powder that mochi are rolled in. 

But it’s the thick slices of milk bread — sandwiching everything from pale-yellow egg salad to chicken karaage with fried green onions and cabbage to perfectly placed strawberries and whipped cream — that market themselves. 

The sandwiches look even better sliced in half and displayed on Instagram. Despite myself, I took one of the sweet sandos, made with alternating layers of red-bean white mochi and green matcha cream, placed it on the matching green bench outside and immortalized it. It’s an irresistible part of the sando ceremony: First, you snap a pic, then you eat.

The Standard suggests:
Chicken karaage sando: $16
Omurice, Spam, and pork floss musubi: $7.50
Total: $23.50