Num Pang

21 E. 12th St., Greenwich Village, NY

7.5

map & more

Neighborhood
Greenwich Village

Cuisine
Sandwiches
Vietnamese

Nearby
Webster Hall

212-255-3271

Official Website

By Chris Stang
May 17, 2011

We are on top of the latest trends here at Immaculate Infatuation. That’s why I am writing about a Banh Mi sandwich shop in 2011. It’s also why I am sitting at my computer wearing my favorite Von Dutch hat. Oh and I just heard this band on Pandora called “management” or something? Pretty sure they’re gonna be huge.

Even though we’re extremely late on the great Vietnamese sandwich trend of two years ago, we felt that a Num Pang write up was in order. And by the way, these aren’t even technically Vietnamese sandwiches. They are Cambodian, and it’s not a Banh Mi, it’s a Num Pang. I know that only because I read their website…I have no working knowledge of the region or its people, and the difference between the two is undetectable to me. But what I do know is that I like these particular sandwiches – a lot.

On any given day, there are about nine different kinds of Num Pangs on the board in this tiny joint, and most of them are great. But you should be aware of few things going in. First, it’s cash only. Second, you should be taking out rather than eating in. The place is tiny, and not particularly comfortable. Third, you are going to have food on your hands and face like a drunk toddler at dinner after eating here. Each sandwich is a sloppy mess in it’s own beautiful way, and you should wear only your finest t-shirt and coveralls while Num Panging. As for the selection, you can’t go wrong with the pork belly, the peppercorn catfish, the brisket or the shrimp. Some of the others we’d skip, but more on that below. Now excuse us while we go grab a sandwich and get ready for the season finale of LOST.

Food Rundown:

Pulled Duroc Pork
A standard pulled pork with carrots and cucumber. You can’t go wrong with this guy.

Five Spiced Pork Belly
This is one heavy sandwich. There’s a lot of pork belly here, and it’s amazing. But what really makes it is the slices of pickled Asian pear on the bottom. Order this.

Ginger Barbeque Brisket
A big, messy, delicious brisket sandwich that you should not eat before you have to do anything important. You are going to have sh*t all over you, and will probably want to die if you eat the whole thing.

Peppercorn Catfish
Don’t fear the catfish. This is a nice filet with a sweet soy sauce between two heavenly pieces of bread, and it’s a bit lighter than some of the other things on this menu.

Coconut Tiger Shrimp
This one has its fans, but shrimp on a sandwich for us needs to be in po boy form. The coconut flakes add nice flavor though.

Skirt Steak
We love skirt steak and naturally expected this one to be a home run, but we were disappointed. There is so much char on the steak, that it’s the only thing you taste. Skip it.