Num Pang Sandwich Shop
| Address: | 140 E 41st St, New York, NY 10017, USA |
| Phone: | +1 212-867-8889 |
| Site: | numpangnyc.com |
| Rating: | 4.3 |
| Working: | 11AM–9PM 11AM–9PM 11AM–9PM 11AM–9PM 11AM–9PM 12–6PM 12–6PM |
Location
Photos 1
Reviews 6
MI
Michael Wang
Wow. This place makes a mean sandwich! I cant believe that I work literally across the street from here, and it took me over a month to finally make my way down to Num Pang. Num Pang is a Vietnamese sandwich spot hidding right in the middle of Midtown East. Now when I think of Vietnamese sandiwiches, what comes to my mind is me in San Jose, CA, at Lees Sandwiches getting a $2 Vietnamese sandwich. Over at Num Pang, that is totally the opposite. Move over $2 Vietnamese sandwiches, because over here, theyre $8. Whoa, what gives? Why the 4x price increase you may ask? Well, its because this place is actually quality. They use solid pieces of pork belly, meatball, and any other meat that comes in your sandwich. Now when I come here, I go straight for the Five Spice Pork Belly Sandiwch. It comes with a couple solid pieces of pork belly, sauces, veggies, and some Asian pear. Granted, the size of the sandwich isnt incredibly huge, but it is pretty tasty. If youre coming here, youre looking to grab and go. Theres not much room inside to stay and eat, unless you dont mind standing and eating. The service here is incredibly fast. You might have to wait around 5 minutes to order, but after you do, it is literally a minute or two till you get your food. Num Pang is a solid place to grab a sandwich for lunch. Its a nice deviation from your normal roast beef on wheat, and is good enough to make you want to come back. The wait is incredibly fast, but on the downside, the sandwiches arent huge either. If youre starving, then you should either probably get two, or pass on this place till tomorrow.
AD
Adam Rubens
I wanted to give Num Pang four stars, as I like a lot of what they do, but Ill unfortunately have to give them three. So Ill talk about the less pleasing, but then finish it with more pleasing, so at least we end on a good note. Sadly, the brisket wasnt really tender. One of the reasons brisket is a difficult piece of meat to deal with, is because it can be difficult to get to that point where it falls apart in your mouth. Time helps. Maybe if theyd start the brisket an hour earlier, it would have fallen apart in my mouth, but it didnt. It was too tough. Itd be nice if the sandwich were a bit bigger too. Eight bucks for approximately a 6 inch roll is a bit skimpy. Id have liked more pickled red cabbage, but thats not the end of the world. Having a rack of chips to choose from would have been cool too. On a nice day, having the line to order (which they got to move very quickly, hooray) outside was wonderful but I wonder how thatll fly in the winter. The bread was good. Even though the sandwich I got (Ginger Barbecue Brisket) was nice and wet, the toasted bread retained crunch. Yum. And speaking of wet, the sandwich was a little sloppy, which I appreciate. Carl Jr.s once used the slogan "If it doesnt get all over the place, it doesnt belong in your face" which is a bit crude, but gets the point across... Its nice when a sandwich isnt too neat. Num Pang wins there. Im willing to go back. I like the creativity and the taste, but a bit more refinement is needed.
AN
Anthony Alcaro
Located just down the street from Grand Central Terminal, Num Pang serves fresh Cambodian/Vietnamese sandwiches/heros with delicious vegetables (pickled carrots and cucumber), as well as cilantro, and a chili mayo sauce, which really makes the meal. I wasn’t sure what to order but after talking to the friendly staff, I had a few suggestions, including the meatball sandwich and the brisket. I ended up with the brisket - something I am usually very picky with - yet I was more than satisfied! There are a few things I noticed that may put some people off, though. First, there is no seating available - A few reviews say this place is larger than the other location, but the only place to eat is against the wall, standing. I have no problem with this, it makes me feel better about myself, but its something to think about; this is definitely an on-the-go place (ordering “to stay” will get you a Styrofoam box with your sandwich). Second, while the menu seemingly has a good variety, all the sandwiches come with the same toppings (which I noted above). If you’re someone who’s on the lookout for new and exotic things, you’ll probably only be here once or twice, however those looking for a lunch staple or just want to mix things up occasionally will love it.
KE
Kevin Lo
Many times in food, its always the simplest things that are the hardest to get right. One would think that sandwiches should be pretty straight forward and easy to prepare. But even peanut butter and jelly can get screwed up royally. Safe to say this place does Vietnamese sandwiches right... something thats hard to find in this area. I ordered the Five Spiced Glazed Pork Belly sandwich. It comes with fresh cucumbers, shredded carrots, pickled Asian pear, a spiced mayo, all on a crispy baguette. The pork was soft, flavorful and had a slight kick to it without being over bearing. I actually grabbed a thing of sriracha but didnt end up using it. The veggies were all crunchy and fresh tasting. But the superstar of the sandwich is the bread. It had a nice toasty crisp with a soft chewy center. It absorbed the sauce well and made each bite that much more flavorful. With a great staff and quick service, and not to mention other delicious options on the menu, I will definitely be back to try them all at some point. Hopefully, the seasonal menu doesnt change before I have that opportunity.
PA
Patricia Rodriguez
Yes, this sandwich shop is small-- theres a counter across the room from the ordering area so that you can get your food, pull a 180, and scarf it without sitting down. But the flavors are big! I ordered the five-spice glazed pork belly sandwich and never looked back. I will note that most of the components are on the sweet side, but the tang of the pickles (though mild) coupled with the chili mayo help to keep it all in balance. Just the right amount of mayo on my sandwich, not overpowering or palate-coating. The belly is exactly what it should be in texture, nicely rendered, not tough in the slightest, and the pieces were glazed and shining, with a nice bit of char at the ends. The five spice was very muted, which I could see being a negative for some. I especially loved the pickled Asian pear! I honestly could have just eaten that and the slices of meat; the rest of the sandwich was just icing on the cake.
PE
Peter Gates
In my ongoing quest for the best sandwich in the world, Num Pang has to take a bow for creating such flavourful, exciting combinations such as catfish with sweet soy sauce or my favourite pulled pork with spiced honey. The bread is on the small side but the fillings are loaded up and more than make up for it. Served in a polystyrene container, you need to beware of dripping sauce on yourself and make sure to lean forward or youll definitely make a mess of that nice shirt / blouse! The Grand Central store has a slightly scruffy look to it with boxes stacked around and just counters around the outside to eat at. Im told the other locations have tables and chairs but really this joint is aimed at the lunchtime crowd and lines can get long at peak times. If you happen to be in the area, waiting for a train perhaps then you should definitely make a trip to this great place.
