Of the many konbini (convenience store) classics available on store shelves — from onigiri rice balls to ready-to-eat paper cups of fried chicken — you can't go wrong with the quintessential konbini sandwich.
With katsu (cutlet), egg salad, ham and lettuce, or even fruit and cream stuffed between two triangular halves of crustless, fluffy white bread, the konbini sandwich remains a cult favorite with even the late, great Anthony Bourdain among fans' ranks. And now you can find an upgraded, updated version of this classic fare at Konbi, a Japanese-style sandwich restaurant in Los Angeles.
Konbi, which opened in October 2018, is the brainchild of owner-chef duo Akira Akuto and Nick Montgomery. After a stint working together at Momofuku, a New York-based restaurant group, in 2007, the two went their separate ways but stayed in touch, knowing they wanted to open a restaurant together since they were "in sync with how a restaurant should look and feel." Montgomery ended up in LA, which he lauds for its "growing chef community," fresh produce and comparatively affordable rent, and the pair began doing pop-ups about three years ago, through which they explored Japanese sandwiches.