Grilled Pork Num Pang
by Num Pang Hero, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Though not nearly as well known internationally as neighboring Vietnam's banh mi, Cambodia's similar baguette sandwich, the num pang, is also a fantastic and filling (and cheap!) street food snack found throughout the country.
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| Grilled Pork Num Pang (baguette sandwich) in Phnom Penh, Cambodia |
After an afternoon of exploring Phnom Penh's beautiful Royal Palace and National Museum, I returned to my hotel. I was feeling hot and tired, and it looked like it might rain soon. Instead of setting out on foot to hunt down some lunch, I opened the Grab app to see what I could have delivered. I searched for "num pang" and selected the first restaurant that popped up: Num Pang Hero.
Like a banh mi, the num pang was made from a French-style baguette. The bread was very soft on the inside, and the crust was crispy and flaky. The baguette was sliced in half and filled with green onions, sliced pickled radish, carrot, long slivers of red chili (not too spicy, but with a bit of a kick), and of course, grilled pork.
This is where the Khmer sandwich differs a bit from its Vietnamese cousin. Instead of the common Vietnamese ingredients of pate, pork pie, or omelette, this baguette was filled with a distinctly Cambodian grilled pork. The pork, similar to the pork that is often served over rice for breakfast in Cambodia, was marinaded in fish sauce, palm sugar, and various herbs before being grilled over charcoal, which gave it an excellent smoky flavor.
The num pang also came with a small packet of spicy chili sauce, which I gladly added to my lunch! Cambodian food is not exactly known for being spicy, but spice is often available with any dish, and I'm always happy for a little extra.
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| sandwich delivery by Num Pang Hero, Phnom Penh, Cambodia |
Price
The grilled pork num pang cost just 10,500 KHR (about 3 USD) including delivery. Delivery took around 15 minutes.
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