Num Pang

I cannot begin to tell you how joyed I am that Cambodian street food has entered into my life. Ratha Chau, chef-owner of Kampuchea in the lower east side, recently opened up a small sandwich shop in Greenwich Village called Num Pang. I cant pretend to be able to explain the subtleties of Cambodian cuisine, but I can tell you that the sandwiches at Num Pang are very very good. 

Num Pang, occupying a space no bigger than a couple NFL linemen, serves up Cambodian style sandwiches to what seems to be an exponentially growing mob of hungry patrons. Choices vary from pulled pork with a tangy honey glaze to peppercorn catfish, from hoisin veal meatballs to coconut shrimp, not to mention a few others. 

Each sandwich is prepared on a freshly baked baguette, likely a product of Cambodia's French colonial history. The bread really makes this sandwich so irresistible, striking the perfect balance of crusty and chewy. After being slathered with a chili mayo, and topped with pickled carrots, cilantro, and a cool cucumber, the sandwiches are ready to be adorned with the protein of your choosing. 

Of the one's I have tried thus far, I would recommend the coconut shrimp. Grilled moments before snuggling up on the baguette, the shrimp are fresh and flavorful. The hoisin veal meatball sandwich was good, but not as delicious. I really wanted that hoisin flavor to come through, but sadly I was left with just an average meatball, that was texturally unsatisfying. My sandwich eating cohorts raved about the pulled pork, which is no surprise, pulled pork is always excellent in any context. 

So, if your looking for something interesting to eat for lunch, hit up Num Pang. Fair warning, the sandwiches are a tad small, and for 8 dollars you can almost get 24 feet of sandwich at that Jared Fogel place, but this is much better. Num Pang delivers some serious eats, and hopefully etches a new cuisine into your culinary lexicon. 

Stay hungry. 

Jon 

Report Card:

Food: A-

Atmosphere: B

Service: B+

Price: B

Overall: B+