Num Pang Sandwich Shop

Ask for banh mi and owner Ratha Chaupoly, who is also the owner of Kampuchea on the Lower East Side, may give you a highly accented “Pardon me?” That’s because this super-narrow two-story shop showcases the sandwiches of Cambodia, not Vietnam, where banh mi originates. Called num pang, they’re cousins in taste but nevertheless distinct from their Vietnamese brethren. Inside baked breads provided by Parisi Bakery, you can pile on pulled pork, peppercorn catfish, coconut tiger shrimp (funked out with coconut flakes), hoison veal meatballs, skirt steak or a veggie vision pairing cauliflower with a double dose of eggplant, and all served with cucumber, pickled carrots, cilantro and a moderate chili mayo you can scorch up as needed. Being perfect lunch grub, queues here form fast, and the seats are, shall we say, less than friendly to the wide of hip. Still, lounging Liliput-style is one thing, vying for the few window seats is something else. Those on the second floor, reached by black spiral stairs, are as prized as getting num pang for your buck.

See more: Greenwich Village restaurants, Asian restaurants, Sandwich restaurants