Last winter, NYC-based Southeast Asian sandwich shop Num Pang Kitchen introduced the NcRib, an adaptation of McDonald’s cult favorite McRib that’s had a love-hate relationship with foodies for decades. (It never stays in restaurants for long.)
Num Pang Kitchen, known for their pulled pork sandwiches and rice bowls, sold the NcRib for a limited time at the Times Square South location. Chef/co-founder Ben Daitz says through a spokesperson that the dish sold out every day.
It had an “amazing response,” he says. And now, it’s returning for almost the entire month of December.
The NcRib features succulent baby back ribs cooked in barbecue sauce for about five hours. The bones are pulled while the ribs are still hot, and each sandwich is equivalent to about half a rack of meat pressed overnight into patty form.
The ribs are garnished with thinly shaved white onion, house-made pickles and chili mayo. Everything is sandwiched between a semolina bun.
And, get this: while the McRib has 72 ingredients, what Daitz calls their “fresher version” has only 10.
We covered this newcomer last year. As I, personally, described:
“The pork was tender. The chili mayo and the barbeque sauce paraded sweet and tangy notes around my tongue. The onions and pickles added the perfect crunch. Eating this sandwich reminded me of backyard barbeques in the heat of July, and it was enough to make a poultry-lover like me delighted.”
Another Metro staffer said at the time, “It’s super tasty, but when I taste the barbeque, it makes me think of the name ‘McRib,’ and it makes me want them to not call it the ‘NcRib.'”
Where to get the NcRib
While the NcRib was only served at Num Pang Kitchen’s Times Square South location last year, in 2018, it’s available at two of the six NYC restaurants.
Find it at the following Num Pang Kitchens:
Times Square South
133 West 38th Street
New York, NY
917-409-1134
NoMad
1129 Broadway
New York, NY
212-647-8889
Each sandwich goes for $10.95.
How long is the NcRib at Num Pang Kitchen?
This year, the NcRib is available at these two locations starting today, December 3, until Christmas.
Get it while it’s piping hot.
