Num Pang

After Josh and I got back from Montauk, we decided to get some food to eat in Union Square (we were supposed to drop the rental car off by my apartment, but due to Avis’ crappy GPS, we were late and apparently, Avis’ computer systems shut off a minute before the stores close). We eventually dropped off the car in Union Square (it literally took an hour to move a block because the gay pride parade shut down every street we wanted to go on). Luckily, Avis didn’t take forever to process our paperwork because we were starving and looking for food.

Initially, we were going to head to Stand for a marshmallow milkshake and a burger, but instead, we went to Num Pang, the relatively new bahn mi sandwich shop across the street:

The guy behind the counter told us his favorite sandwich was the five spice glazed pork belly with pickled rhubarb, so we ordered one:

The sandwich also comes with some cucumber and lots of carrots and cilantro. Josh and I split the sandwich and it definitely didn’t do much for either of us; the bread was too tough (something I rarely say because I love hard bread) and there wasn’t enough pork belly. The pickled rhubarb was a tangy and delicious contrast, but it was a little fibrous and difficult to chew.

We also ordered the pulled duroc pork with spiced honey:

And a close-up:

I liked the pulled pork a lot more (it’s also Num Pang’s best seller); the pork is tangy and vinegary and tastes great with the cilantro and carrots. We also used a ton of sriracha sauce, which tasted great with both sandwiches. The pulled pork actually tasted similar to Cook Out’s pulled pork sandwich (although I think the spices in Num Pang’s sandwiches are slightly better).

The second floor has interesting seating (little benches and barstools):

We sat on the little bench that overlooked the street and enjoyed our view (lots of people coming/going from the gay pride parade). The sandwiches at Num Pang are a little on the pricey side, especially for bahn mi sandwiches, but the pulled pork bahn mi sandwich is worth another visit to the restaurant.