This started as a joke with a coworker and got out of hand. Over the last couple of months I have been working through the sandwich shelf at every convenience store near my office, and I have opinions now. The egg salad one deserves its reputation. I was sceptical because everyone talks about it, and things that everyone talks about are usually overrated. This one is not. The bread is the part people underestimate, honestly. It is softer than what I grew up with and it makes a real difference. The katsu sandwich is the one I want to like more than I actually do. Great in theory. In practice it depends entirely on how long it has been sitting there. Early in the day it is excellent. Late at night the breading gives up. The fruit sandwich divided my entire office. I brought a few in to settle an argument and it settled nothing. Half the room thinks whipped cream and fruit between bread is an abomination, the other half finished theirs in about forty seconds. I am firmly in the second group and I will not be taking questions. A few general observations: The same product tastes noticeably different between chains. I did not expect the gap to be that wide. Restock timing matters more than which chain you go to. I now go to the one near my station specifically because I know roughly when things get replaced. Seasonal ones are a gamble. Some are genuinely great, some feel like they exist purely to be photographed. The onigiri shelf is a completely separate rabbit hole that I am not ready to go down yet, but I can feel it coming. What I actually appreciate about all this is how normal good food is here at that price point. Back home, a sandwich from a similar type of shop was something you ate because you had no other option. Here it is a legitimate lunch, and I stopped feeling vaguely sad about eating one at my desk. Anyone have a strong recommendation I have missed? I am also curious whether people outside the big cities see different products, because I keep hearing that regional selections vary quite a bit. #japanesefood #konbini #lunch