Num Pang Sandwich Shop
21 E. 12th Street, Manhattan
Conveniently located for my library runs to NYU and grocery errands at Union Square, Num Pang delivers a bourgie-fied Cambodian variation on banh mi, offering up pulled pork with honey, peppercorn catfish, coconut tiger shrimp, and hoisin veal meatball sandwiches. I tried the meatball sub–a handful of subtly spiced orbs stuffed in a fresh crispy bun with mayo, some shredded carrots, a few sprigs of cilantro, and a couple of slices of cucumber. The result was rich and tasty, but a little too genteel on the tongue for my fermented, fishy and freaky banh mi cravings. And at double the price of my usual Sunset Park connection.
Evaluation: Qualified Thumbs-Up.
