Not long ago, I visited Katsu Sando, a Japanese restaurant located in Chinatown. While I waited for my order to be prepared, I noticed Wax Paper, a restaurant featuring eclectic sandwiches. I made a note of it and planned a return visit.
Like my small startups, the husband and wife combo of Peter and Lauren Lemos own Wax Paper. They are big fans of NPR and give them a nod by naming their sandwiches after their personalities. Examples of this are the Larry Mantle, an Italian sandwich, the Ophira Eisenberg, a ham sandwich with spicy honey-walnut aioli, and the Dee Dee Bridgewater, a sour cream n’ onion egg salad sandwich.
Their front window has detailed descriptions of their menu. They have so many signs on their front window stating no to this that I became slightly put off. I expect to find a “no mask, no entry” sign, but they also include “No Restrooms,” “No Pets,” and seeing the sign “No Walk-Up Orders At This Time” because it wasn’t possible for me to order online.
Nevertheless, I found the crew to be patient and friendly. I pride myself on being decisive, but this time I waffled like the person in front of you in line when you are starving and in immediate need of eating something. I glanced behind me and was relieved that no one was waiting.
A delicious sandwich begins with quality bread, and they have loaves from Bub and Grandma’s Bread delivered to them each day. For some of their sandwiches, they use the France Bakery sesame bread. Because they only use freshly baked bread, their hours are “11:00 – 4:00 or until we run out”.
Turkey sandwiches aren’t usually very exciting, but when I read the ingredients on the Garth Trinidad ($15), I quickly became interested. The roasted turkey is moist and fresh. Cabbage-citrus-serrano-chili-slaw, pickled carrots, miso, sesame aioli, and cilantro adds unique flavors. Furikake rice seasoning and sliced almonds add some crunchiness.
The Neda Ulaby ($14) includes roast beef, Ben’s French onion dip, baby spinach, crispy onions, horseradish & pickled beet vin, and grated Swiss cheese on Bub & Grandma’s Ciabatta. Of the sandwiches my wife and I tried, this was our clear favorite. The rustic bread is crusty on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside. Every element on this sandwich nicely works.
The Larry Mantle ($15) is their version of the Italian sandwich. It is filled with sliced herb bologna, salami, spicy aioli, pickled red onion, shredded lettuce, oregano vinaigrette, pickled peppers, and topped with a generous amount of shaved pecorino cheese. They wrap these ingredients with a France Bakery sesame roll.
Sandwiches include a housemade pickle spear and their creativity with interesting housemade salads. Examples include their Aloha Pasta Salat made with organic strozzapreti pasta, pineapple, and ham. They top the salad with shaved pecorino and Japanese togarashi chili powder.
Peas n’ Carrots is a vegetable medley with sweet peas, garden peas, thinly sliced carrots, other root vegetables, and pickled golden raisins. It is tossed in a tahini sauce and topped with fresh dill. This flavorful salad also happens to be vegan. Because the vegetables are sliced thin, this is easy to eat.
Street parking in Chinatown is often scarce. I got lucky finding a metered spot on Ord Street. Otherwise, public lots in the area charge $5.
Wax Paper’s original location is in Frogtown, and they opened their location in Chinatown in 2018.
Wax Paper, 736 N. Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90012; waxpaperco.com