Num Pang Sandwich Shop

My lunches tend to be pretty boring and generic, since I usually have a basic turkey sandwich or a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.  For some reason it is always hard for me to make a decision about lunch and I am never particularly in the mood for anything, so it is easier to just eat the same thing everyday.  But, lately I have become bored with eating the same thing for lunch, probably because I have been expanding my horizons with dinner and my palate has become a bit more sophisticated.  Now that I have a lot of time on my hands because work ended and school doesn't start for a few weeks, I figured I would start experimenting with lunch places and food trucks in the city.

For me, a great sandwich is the most satisfying lunch option, so I did some research online for the best sandwiches in NYC.  One of the first ones that came up was Num Pang Sandwich Shop, which has a few locations in the city.  They serve gourmet, made to order cambodian style sandwiches which is definitely not your typical sandwich style.  All of the sandwiches are served on their fresh made baguettes with chili mayo, cucumber, pickled carrots and cilantro.  They have a few seasonal specialties that rotate in and out, but they have a few staples that remain on the menu, including pulled pork, peppercorn catfish, five spiced glazed pork belly, roasted chicken chimi and coconut tiger shrimp.  Because they are so passionate about the product that they make and are confident in the flavors, you cannot make any modifications to the sandwich.  As I said earlier, I tend to be pretty boring with my lunches and would usually choose the chicken option, but I decided to be a bit more exotic and opted for the Duroc Pulled Pork.

Since I am a bread lover, I was super excited when I opened the container and saw the warm crispy baguette that the sandwich was on.  Even for me, however, the size of the bread was a little too big for the amount of other ingredients that they put on the sandwich.  Since it is served warm, I rushed to find a place to sit (there is no seating) so that I could eat it before it got cold.  

After taking my first bite, I knew what all the hype was about.  There was a great combination of flavors with the duroc pulled pork, chipotle mayo, and the crunchy vegetables, and the bread completed it.  I usually don't like anything too spicy, or mayo for that matter, but the chipotle mayo was definitely necessary for the sandwich to add another dimension of flavor.  The pork itself was really tender and flavorful, and just what I had been craving.  As someone who doesn't eat spice a lot, I found it to be pretty spicy, but they have sides of sriracha sauce that they provide with the sandwiches so I guess a lot of people prefer more spice!  The other sandwich here that seemed to be the most popular was the pork belly, but I would recommend the pulled pork.  I gobbled up every last bite of the meat of the sandwich, and just had a lot of bread left over.

The location that I went to was in midtown, so naturally it gets super crowded around lunch time since there are tons of offices located close by.  Knowing that, I got there around 11:45 and my order was taken instantaneously and my sandwich was ready about a minute later.  If you come during peak hours, be prepared to wait a bit and take the sandwich to go, since there is barely any seating provided.  

Overall, my first experiment with a new and "exotic" lunch place was successful, and I will definitely be returning to Num Pang for their pulled pork sandwich!