Midtown Lunch

In their newest “Chefs Give Back” sandwich, Num Pang has added Indian flavors to its repertoire. We told you last week that they’ve teamed with Top Chef Master Floyd Cardoz (formerly of Tabla) to concoct the Cardoz Pang. And let me tell you, it’s a mighty tasty collaboration.

I have very strong memories of a game changing sandwich at Tabla’s Bread Bar many years ago. It was a pulled lamb sandwich with mustard mashed potatoes on a thick piece of grilled naan. So I was very eager to see what else Chef Floyd could do with lamb and bread.

The addition of black pepper braised lamb, pickled red cabbage, mint, and a chili yogurt sauce fit right in to Num Pang’s usual Cambodian-style with pickled carrots, cucumber, and cilantro. The herbs and flavors make sense together and create a new flavor combination that is exciting and satisfying.

We’ve already spent plenty of time on this site talking about the wonder of Num Pang’s bread, so I’ll concentrate on the other flavors. And these flavors are not for the weak. They’re intense and spicy. Black pepper is consistent throughout each bite and it aids with the gaminess of the crisp and fatty tender lamb. I found chili flakes spread along each slice of bread, but the yogurt itself was a little lacking. I think a heavier handed schmear could have helped cool down all the heat. The sweet and tangy vegetables helped a bit, but the heat remained. I did appreciate that the different levels of heat from the peppery, earthy lamb to the tongue numbing chili yogurt.

This is a bold sandwich and I appreciated all the strong flavors, especially the lamb. It’s a large, filling sandwich and at $9.25 it’s well worth the flavors and charitable donation (a large portion of the proceeds are donated to the Young Scientist Foundation and Tuesday’s Children). It’s only available until the end of the month and I can just about guarantee you can’t get anything like this at Cafe Metro.

Num Pang, 140 East 41st Street, (212) 867-8889