CHARLOTTE — When chef Perry Saito was laid off from his fine dining job during the pandemic, he focused all his energy on a food truck with his parents very much in mind.
“I grew up in the industry … my mother worked in the industry,” Saito said. “My great-grandfather owned a restaurant in Myrtle Beach.”
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Saito has brought his version of a katsu sando to Charlotte with his Katsu Kart Sando Shop food truck.
Saito says he grew up with a mixed heritage — his mother is from South Carolina and his dad, who is also a chef, is from Tokoyo.
“I had the best of both worlds,” he said.
“Katsu itself is like the Japanese version of cutlet,” Saito explained.
Saito describes the sandwich as fried chicken or pork, similar to schnitzel, and says it’s usually accompanied with cabbage and hot mustard.
“In Japan, you’d get a katsu sando at a convenience store,” he said.
>> In the video at the top of this page, Your704′s Elsa Gillis talks to Saito about his inspirations and his goals for the future.
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