Click here to read Alison Cook’s article summarizing her experience as a judge for the tamago sando throwdown.

Click here to read Alison Cook’s article summarizing her experience as a judge for the tamago sando throwdown.

2/7/2021: And the winner of the tamago sando throwdown is….

And the winner of the tamago sando throwdown is...

honestly, I feel like everyone who participated--chefs, vendors, volunteers, judges, and patrons--came out of this a winner. COVID has really thrown such a curveball into our lives, so we wanted to do something that was fun--something that created a communal experience in some way.

While Willet Feng (@willetcooks) was the critics' choice and popular choice winner, he still has the same level of respect for Gabriel Medina (@fullofchef) and does not feel superior in any way. It could've gone either way. This experience brought them together, and they're planning a collaboration in the near future.

Justin Long (@justinlong) was the natural choice to announce the winner. When we saw that he was donating proceeds from his cameos (@cameo) to Southern Smoke (@southernsmoketx), we realized this was a win-win. Our funds would go to an amazing organization that inspires us, and we get this badass video that the chefs will never forget.

Special thanks again to: Willet, Gabe of Click Virtual Food Hall (@clickvirtualfoodhall), Niken (@nikenator) of Greenway Coffee (@greenwaycoffee), Jai & Lawrence of Ube Co. HTX (@ubecohtx), our judges [Alison Cook (@alisona.cook), Manabu Horiuchi (@chefhorikatarobata), and Nick Wong (@_nickwong_)], our volunteers [Karen Man (@mskarenman), Lingo Platter, and Vinita Chen (@varnitarrr)], Justin Long of Hollywood fame, Margaret Lee and Annie (@anrikrysta) for taking photos, and all the wonderful patrons in Houston, TX who participated in our little non-Super Bowl event.

Behind-the-scenes photos/videos and other fun stuff will be posted soon! We look forward to using the contributions generated from the throwdown to #takecareofourown through our "Food is Love" (@foodislovehtx) initiative. Stay tuned and be safe.

SANDO A: “Curried apple egg salad sando with vegan floss” by Willet FengIngredients: milk bread, boiled eggs, kewpie mayo, granny smith apples, curry powder, vegan floss (soybean fiber, coarse sugar, pea flour, soy sauce, soybean oil, nori kelp, ses…

SANDO A: “Curried apple egg salad sando with vegan floss” by Willet Feng

Ingredients: milk bread, boiled eggs, kewpie mayo, granny smith apples, curry powder, vegan floss (soybean fiber, coarse sugar, pea flour, soy sauce, soybean oil, nori kelp, sesame, salt)

Sando Idea That Didn’t Make The Cut

I didn't test out a whole bunch of sandos, since the first test was such a success.  I did buy a few different furikakes that I tried out, but they didn't have the same punch.  I had previously made a tamago sando with fried cauliflower and truffle oil, but I wanted to create something new.  Some flavor combinations I thought of but didn't try: the 3gg salad (salted duck egg, century egg, soft boiled egg), a seafood tamago salad (yuzu kosho, kani, sesame seeds, nori, salted cucumbers), and the umami crunch (masago, bonito, fuku, popcorn, potato chips).

SANDO B: “Two Egg Sando” by Gabriel MedinaIngredients: milk bread, ajitama (cured eggs), smoked ikura , shiso pesto (contains pine nuts), cucumber, kewpie mayo, mustardSando Idea That Didn’t Make The CutThe first thought was a tamago  三”SAN”-do…

SANDO B: “Two Egg Sando” by Gabriel Medina

Ingredients: milk bread, ajitama (cured eggs), smoked ikura , shiso pesto (contains pine nuts), cucumber, kewpie mayo, mustard

Sando Idea That Didn’t Make The Cut

The first thought was a tamago  三”SAN”-do, which means 3 in Japanese.  I was going to use 3 eggs – chicken eggs, ikura, and mentaiko, but the flavors didn't complement each other.  I also attempted several other sandos like crawfish and egg, or corn and truffle.  After several trial-and-error sessions, I found that having texture or something slightly refreshing would go a long way.  So I went with my gut and stuck to my original memory of tamago sandos in Japan. I played off of that and my love for Japanese ingredients.

So who made sando A and who made sando B????

(Real talk: didn't mean to create suspense unnecessarily. #emojibaby's bedtime was nearing, so I had to cut my post short and give her some attention. Sorry y'all!)

Sando A was made by Willet [W].

Sando B was made by Gabe [G].

Originally asked both chefs the following two questions, but then couldn't include the answers in the pamphlet because felt their answers were dead giveaways for who made which sando.

Question 1: Explain the inspiration or thought process behind the sando.

[G]: When I was working in Japan, we’d get out of work at 2/3 in the morning. My favorite snack was a tamago sando paired with a bottle of Kirin craft beer from the 711 on the way home. This is my homage to my time there.

[W]: I started off by listing 40+ possible flavors to use for an egg salad sandwich, and then started exploring combinations of those flavors. The goal was something that had a familiar element and a (hopefully) unique addition. A curry egg salad is nothing new, so I thought: what if we fried diced apples dusted in curry powder? And then I recalled Taiwanese sandwiches would often contain pork floss, so I wanted to experiment with something similar, but more inclusive from a dietary perspective. I was pleasantly surprised that the vegan floss I found had great texture, and had nori and sesame seeds added - 2 ingredients I was considering adding as well.

Question 2: What was your favorite sandwich growing up?


[G]: the original Sourdough Jack from the 90’s.
[W]: My favorite sandwich growing up was a fried egg and cheese sandwich, ham optional. The egg has to be fried Chinese-style, crispy edges and a runny yolk. I requested this dish daily. I recall my mom wishing I would just take a liking to cereal like other kids!

tamago sando throwdown

Chef Gabriel Medina versus Chef Willet Feng

Date: Sunday, February 7, 2021

Time: 9:00am - 12:00pm

Curbside Pick up Location: Click Virtual Food Hall

(4901 Rose St, Houston, TX 77007)

Tamago Sando Pop Up 1.jpg

pop-up details

Chef Gabriel of Click Virtual and Chef Willet of burger-chan go head-to-head to create their unique spin on the tamago sando (Japanese egg salad sandwich).

Each tamago sando box will contain half of each sando--one labelled A and one labelled B. Taste each one and let us know which one you prefer!

———————————

This pop-up will also feature Greenway Coffee and UBE Co. HTX.

Greenway Coffee will sell retail bags of coffee and cups of daily black. UBE Co. HTX will sell ube alfajores and ube tarts for pre-order only.

Online ordering opened on Mon., 2/1/2021.

Food Heart.jpg

food is love.

Inspired by Southern Smoke's slogan to "take care of our own," we wanted to do our part to support our food & beverage (f&b) community during the pandemic.  To that end, we created a "Food is Love" initiative: the idea is to sell food and merchandise via pop-ups, and then use the proceeds to purchase staff meals for f&b workers from local restaurants who have been negatively impacted by the pandemic. 

All proceeds from the tamago sando boxes and 30% of Greenway Coffee and Ube Co. HTX sales will be contributed to the initiative.

About the Vendors

Click Virtual Food Hall

Click Virtual is a locally-owned elevated alternative to UberEats with free delivery and no fees. The food hall has several unique restaurants under one roof so you can mix and match . They offer Filipino food, rice bowls, tacos, pizza, and more! All food is packaged in temperature insulated bags and guaranteed hot, delivered by their own drivers. Select burger-chan burgers and sides are offered through their platform as well!

Greenway Coffee Company

Since its inception in 2009, Greenway Coffee has always been about providing quality through relationships. David Buehrer and Ecky Prabanto started the company on a foundation of sourcing coffee from small producers and cultivating important relationships throughout the supply chain, from producers to baristas. Now joined by Ecky’s sister, Niken Prabanto, the team — supported by a dedicated staff that is also passionate about the craft — has been able to mold Greenway into the enduring source of high-quality coffee that it is today.

Ube Co. HTX

Ube Co. HTX is a home based artisan food business owned by a Filipino couple in Houston, Texas. They wanted to incorporate their Filipino culture and heritage through ube, which is a staple in Filipio cuisine. Moreover, the goal of the couple is to diversify the love for ube—purple yam—through food.

Judges Table Tamago Sando Throwdown.jpg

Judges’ Table

Have you ever watched a cooking competition and wished you could taste what the chefs made to see if you agree with the judges’ decisions?

Here’s your chance!

We invited three distinguished industry professionals to participate as socially-distanced judges for our throwdown. They will taste Chef Gabe and Chef Willet’s tamago sandos to determine which sando reigns supreme for the critics’ choice award.

JUDGES (FROM LEFT TO RIGHT)

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Alison Cook: Houston Chronicle Restaurant Critic

Nick Wong: Chef de Cuisine at UB Preserv

Manabu Horiuchi (Chef Hori): Executive Chef at Kata Robata

What Chef Willet | @willetcooks ate today: two 5-ounce patties smashed together, cooked medium rare, on @breadmanco brioche, with cheddar, charred jalapenos, scallion aioli, pickled habaneros, lettuce and tomatoes. Only at burger-chan.
What Chef Willet | @willetcooks ate today: two 5-ounce patties smashed together, cooked medium rare, on @breadmanco brioche, with cheddar, charred jalapenos, scallion aioli, pickled habaneros, lettuce and tomatoes. Only at burger-chan.
New @katsola1 coloring page!
We will be CLOSED on Saturday, 8/10/24, and Sunday 8/11/24 to attend an out-of-state wedding.
We will be CLOSED on Saturday, 8/10/24, and Sunday 8/11/24 to attend an out-of-state wedding.
In our version of "Breaking Bad," high school chemistry teacher Rani Francis (@ranifrancis @oddballeats ) cooks up Egyptian-style falafel outside of class in our kitchen every week for our vegan and vegetarian-friendly option. Rani mixes f
In our version of "Breaking Bad," high school chemistry teacher Rani Francis (@ranifrancis @oddballeats ) cooks up Egyptian-style falafel outside of class in our kitchen every week for our vegan and vegetarian-friendly option. Rani mixes fava beans, chickpeas, cilantro, parsley, onion and spices to make the best falafel we've ever tasted.
Four 2-ounce patties (yes, you can get more than 3!), @breadmanco brioche, cheddar + swiss, sauteed onions, kimchi relish, scallion aioli, soy serrano peppers.
Four 2-ounce patties (yes, you can get more than 3!), @breadmanco brioche, cheddar + swiss, sauteed onions, kimchi relish, scallion aioli, soy serrano peppers.
Wednesday, 7/10/2024, we plan to re-open with a limited menu. Thankful to have power again, and hopeful that those still without power get restored asap. We had to throw out some perishables, so certain items like the chicken and fish sandos will b
Wednesday, 7/10/2024, we plan to re-open with a limited menu. Thankful to have power again, and hopeful that those still without power get restored asap. We had to throw out some perishables, so certain items like the chicken and fish sandos will be unavailable until they're prepped. Recovery is always a pain in the butt, but you gotta do what you gotta do.
We will not be able to open on Tuesday, 7/9/2024. After Hurricane Beryl swept through today, we're thankful our windows are all intact, but unfortunately we've been out of power since this morning. With no estimate as to when electricity will be re
We will not be able to open on Tuesday, 7/9/2024. After Hurricane Beryl swept through today, we're thankful our windows are all intact, but unfortunately we've been out of power since this morning. With no estimate as to when electricity will be restored, we don't know when we can re-open. Will post updates once we have any news.
On Thursday, July 4, 2024, American cheese will be available! Some people look forward to the fireworks, others look forward to melty cheese products. To each their own--that's the American way.
On Thursday, July 4, 2024, American cheese will be available! Some people look forward to the fireworks, others look forward to melty cheese products. To each their own--that's the American way.
Bad reviews are part of the business. We’ve been lucky to get mostly great reviews, but recently a string of 1 and 3 star reviews have been coming in, and we’d like to address some of the complaints. Complaint #1: The wait is too long.
Bad reviews are part of the business. We’ve been lucky to get mostly great reviews, but recently a string of 1 and 3 star reviews have been coming in, and we’d like to address some of the complaints. Complaint #1: The wait is too long. This is true – the wait is much longer than we’d like on certain days. One “helpful” reviewer suggested we don’t simultaneously do online orders when it’s busy; he is mistaken, because we turn it off whenever we get busy. The fact is, we’ve seen our business grow to a point where capacity has been reached (and sometimes exceeded). Our busy days have more than doubled, and we haven’t quite figured out how best to mitigate the wait time. Do we just close the line off the moment we reach a 30-minute wait and tell everyone in line to sit tight or go home? Or should we pre-cook a bunch of patties and just assemble a bunch of preset burgers to sit under a heat lamp like McDonald’s? Offering options and cooking to order takes time, but chef @willetcooks will continue to try and shorten the wait time without compromising too much. Complaint #2: It’s too hot / the owners are greedy and don’t tell people when the A/C is out. We know it gets hot around this time of year, but the accusations are wrong. We literally just dropped $25k to upgrade our A/C system. While there has been a definite improvement, it still can’t overcome the heat coming in from our return air system and the heat generated from an open kitchen. We apologize if it feels warm, but we are doing our best. Complaint #3: They are skimping on ingredients / the ingredients are inferior. We’d like to think both are false, but if you ever feel that way when you’re dining in, please let us know and we can address the issue. In fact, if there is a quality issue, we’d want to know! In one review, they seemed unhappy about our lettuce. We usually use iceberg, but occasionally switch to green leaf depending on quality and prices. Lately, lettuce in general have suffered a bit in quality, but we do our best to pick through it and discard anything that doesn’t look great. Apologies if you received subpar lettuce. Complaint #4: Prices are high.(Continued in comments.)
Nothing says "Happy Father's Day" like a satisfying burger-chan burger! We've been sustaining dad bods since 2016.
What Chef Willet | @willetcooks ate today: two 5-ounce patties smashed together, cooked medium rare, on @breadmanco brioche, with cheddar, charred jalapenos, scallion aioli, pickled habaneros, lettuce and tomatoes. Only at burger-chan.
New @katsola1 coloring page!
We will be CLOSED on Saturday, 8/10/24, and Sunday 8/11/24 to attend an out-of-state wedding. In our version of "Breaking Bad," high school chemistry teacher Rani Francis (@ranifrancis @oddballeats ) cooks up Egyptian-style falafel outside of class in our kitchen every week for our vegan and vegetarian-friendly option. Rani mixes f Four 2-ounce patties (yes, you can get more than 3!), @breadmanco brioche, cheddar + swiss, sauteed onions, kimchi relish, scallion aioli, soy serrano peppers. Wednesday, 7/10/2024, we plan to re-open with a limited menu. Thankful to have power again, and hopeful that those still without power get restored asap. We had to throw out some perishables, so certain items like the chicken and fish sandos will b We will not be able to open on Tuesday, 7/9/2024. After Hurricane Beryl swept through today, we're thankful our windows are all intact, but unfortunately we've been out of power since this morning. With no estimate as to when electricity will be re On Thursday, July 4, 2024, American cheese will be available! Some people look forward to the fireworks, others look forward to melty cheese products. To each their own--that's the American way. Bad reviews are part of the business. We’ve been lucky to get mostly great reviews, but recently a string of 1 and 3 star reviews have been coming in, and we’d like to address some of the complaints. Complaint #1: The wait is too long.
Nothing says "Happy Father's Day" like a satisfying burger-chan burger! We've been sustaining dad bods since 2016.