RESTAURANTS: Have it their way.

The chalk board at Num Pang reads "I will listen to my mother." Does she recommend the pork or the veggie?

It's no longer news that the sandwich is New York's signature food for 2009. It seems like tough economic times have led us into a frenzy for anything served between two slices of bread (or on a bun). While the Vietnamese banh mi--those addictively-crunchy baguettes filled with exotically-spiced meats and crispy veggies--slowly gained a foothold in recent years, they've now taken on legendary status as new peddlers open up all over town (see Hanco's, An Choi).

The latest sandwich shop to dish out portable meals to the masses is Num Pang, from the folks behind the LES Cambodian spot Kampuchea. They're turning out banh mi's close Cambodian cousins--the eponymous num pang--stuffed with a whole bunch of meat, seafood and veggie options, and always slathered with a spicy house mayo. When we stopped in on opening day, the tiny spot was packed, the grill guys were constructing made-to-order sandwiches as fast as they could, and the second floor dining room was filled with a faint smell of mouth-watering barbecue smoke. The one surprise: no custom orders. Burger King this ain't: it's the Num Pang way or the highway. Luckily the two sandwiches we tried, grilled honey-glazed pork and coconut tiger shrimp, were great in their original form. We just recommend steering clear if you're a "dressing on the side" type.