Banh mi ban!

Peppercorn Catfish | Num Pang

It walks like a banh mi…it talks like a banh mi…nope, it's a num pang. Bearing a striking resemblance to its better known kin, the Khmer entry into the Asian sandwich wars has been attracting crowds since the tiny Greenwich Village storefront, a Kampuchea offshoot, opened in March.

Chef Ratha Chau makes a distinction between his product and the current It sandwich. “Because they were both colonized by the French, the sandwiches share the baguette," he says, "but the flavors of the num pang take their roots in Cambodian cuisine, not Vietnamese.”

A prime example: the peppercorn catfish, described by Chau as “one of the most traditional sandwiches on the menu.” Clay-pot cooking is eschewed for pan-searing, but the same caramelized effect is achieved. Handsomely grill-marked filets are tucked into a toasted roll from Parisi Bakery along with thin slices of cucumber, shredded carrot, cilantro, sweet soy sauce and sambal-spiked mayonnaise. ($7.25)

Suitable sub? 5 stars. The cynic in us would write off the num pang as a costlier, smaller fraternal twin to the banh mi, but it’s so damn tasty we’re willing to accept that pedigreed ingredients come at a price.

Num Pang (21 E. 12th St. between University Place and Fifth Ave., 212-255-3271)