Katsu sando - the Japanese sandwich that flooded the internet - looks simple, and the whole thing comes down to two things: chicken crispy on the outside, juicy inside, and bread as soft as a cloud. It doesn't need special equipment or exotic ingredients you can't get your hands on. It just needs you not to rush at the wrong moments.

Ingredients for two servings: 4 boneless chicken pieces, pounded to about two centimeters; flour seasoned with salt; one egg; panko (Japanese breadcrumbs, coarser and crispier than the usual ones); neutral oil for frying. For the sandwich: thick slices of white bread with the crust removed, a little butter, tonkatsu sauce, mayonnaise and finely shredded cabbage.

The method. First pound the chicken between two sheets of baking paper - even thickness means even cooking. Set out three dishes: flour, beaten egg, panko. Pass each piece through all three in order. Heat oil in a shallow pan over medium-high; if you drop in a crumb and it immediately dances with tiny bubbles, the temperature is right. Fry two to three minutes per side until golden and cooked through.

Here's the part most people skip: the moment you take the chicken out, salt it right away while it's hot - the warm surface takes the salt the way a cooled one never will. If you like, add a little Japanese spicy seasoning blend on top.

To assemble, spread the bread with a little butter, then tonkatsu sauce and mayonnaise. Add the chicken, then the cabbage for freshness and crunch, and close it up. Cut it in half - not just for looks, but because it's precisely the cross-section that shows why this sandwich became famous: the layers, the color, the contrast between soft and crispy. A simple dish that looks like it came from a restaurant, and you made it at home in less than half an hour.