A nearly $100 fish sandwich is turning a small Los Angeles chicken shop into one of the city's most talked-about food destinations.
At Daybird in Silver Lake, diners can order the Hot Cod Sando, a fried fish sandwich that starts at roughly $20 but climbs to around $80 before tax if they add the restaurant’s caviar-laced yuzu tartar sauce. But per Tasting Table, once tax is included, the sandwich lands just shy of $100, making it one of the priciest fish sandwiches in Los Angeles.
The sandwich itself is substantial even before the luxury upgrade. Daybird serves a thick, fried cod filet brushed with chili oil, tucked into a fresh bun with melted cheese.
The base version comes with yuzu tartar sauce, but the high-end option folds Astrea caviar directly into the spread.
Caviar pricing varies dramatically depending on the species and rarity. Entry-level fish roe can cost as little as $30 an ounce, while premium sturgeon caviar routinely sells for more than $100 an ounce.
Rare varieties such as Beluga can climb above $1,000 an ounce, and some of the world's most exclusive caviar commands several thousand dollars for a small serving.
That makes the price tag on Daybird's fish sandwich less about the cod itself and more about the luxury topping layered on top of it.
The fish sandwich is an unusual menu item for Daybird, which first built its reputation as Los Angeles' first fast-casual Szechuan hot chicken restaurant.
Opened in 2021, the restaurant became known for oversized fried chicken sandwiches seasoned with Sichuan peppercorns, the spice famous for creating the tingling, numbing sensation known as “má.”
Daybird's menu reflects that identity, with different heat levels available for both its chicken and fish sandwiches. The restaurant's use of the Japanese word "sando" for sandwich is another nod to the global influences behind the menu.
The restaurant still offers only a limited number of the caviar-topped versions each day, meaning customers who want the luxury upgrade need to arrive early.
