The mid 90’s saw sandwiches takeover the world, people walked about the streets, tossing extra cash into the dumpsters and stuffing themselves with twelve-inch meatball subs from Subway. Despite Jared’s influential presence, not everyone got skinny by eating foot-long, processed flour buns full of mayonnaise and cheese. Suddenly Atkins pointed out that obscene amounts of un-process-able carbs actually makes you fat. The sandwich craze ended and expensive, organic foods became popular. But now, because of the recession, everyone’s poor, starvation is more proable than ever and carbohydrates cease to be the fear at the forefront of the nation. In other words, sandwiches – cheap, high quality ones – are making a comeback and this time their recipes do not come from some chemical plant in nowhere America but from the Cambodian Kitchen of Chef Ratha Chau’s mother.
Num Pang, which actually means sandwich in Cambodian, a tiny, graffiti-walled hip Asian spot, opened at the end of March and is serving up hungry New Yorkers with nothing that even resembles a cold cut combo or a pizza sub. In fact, Chau’s gourmet sandwiches are pretty near perfect; all proffered up on freshly baked, semolina flour ciabatta buns. Unfortunately Chau doesn’t offer the options of unlimited wilted iceberg lettuce, or over-ripe tomatoes on his sammies, but he does have quite an excellent menu. Chau’s Sandwich board includes peppercorn catfish with house-made sweet soy, pulled duroc pork with spiced honey, coconut tiger shrimp with toasted coconut flakes, and a vegetarian option, grilled cauliflower with Chinese and Thai eggplant.

Subway lovers worry not, Num Pang does offer mayonnaise (freshly whipped up chili-mayo that is) and pickles (hand cured cucumbers and carrots) on all his sandwiches. He even offers a meatball Sub, a hoisin veal meatball num pang with jasmine rice, basil, and stewed tomato. If you still prefer Subway after eating in this establishment, then you deserve eachother. – E.H