Chef Ciaron Duffy has cooking in his blood. The Irish-born chef comes from a family of culinary prowess: his father is a European master pastry chef, his family owned their own restaurant in Dublin called Silver Teal, his grandmother worked at Cadbury chocolate’s warehouse, and both of his older brothers were engrossed in the industry- cooking at the family restaurant and bartending. Duffy and his family moved to Boston when he was 13, and he learned to adjust to the culture shock of America. After a stint in the U.S. army, Duffy moved to Atlanta and worked the scene at various restaurants including the original Fado in Buckhead and Meehan’s Public House. Here, we talk with Duffy about his newest concept, Bantu. The fast-casual noodle bar is set to open in the Avalon development at the end of October.
Talk about growing up with a family in the culinary industry. Did you spend time working in your family’s restaurant?
My family cooks because it is a passion, but we know it is hard work. I’ve been in the kitchen since I was eight years old. I would stand on milk crates and wash dishes and perform other odd jobs around the restaurant. As I got older, I started baking and making the cakes for the restaurant. So when my parents saw me take an interest, they tried to convince me to do something else.
Why?
It’s a tough lifestyle. Being in the industry is hard to raise a family. People don’t realize how demanding the job of a chef can be.
But you ended up attending culinary school anyway. How did your Asian cuisine passion develop?
There were several serendipitous things that culminated in my decision to create a fast-casual Asian concept. I visited China six times, because my brother works in a bar in Shanghai. What really struck me was the passion and quality of the food. The vegetables had a balance of flavor and it was similar to the level of cooking that I always cook at.
How did Bantu’s concept form?
I’ve been exposed to information based on industry trends, and I noticed the upswing of fast-casual and Asian food. I thought, this is a niche that I would do well in. This is a concept that I could develop rapidly and I see growth potential. So many things seemed to make sense.
Credit: Alexa Lampasona
Credit: Alexa Lampasona
As you developed the menu, you had several tastings with friends and industry professionals. What has been the feedback?
We’ve gotten great compliments on the broth in the Tom Yom soup and Pho. When people taste it, they are shocked at the amount of flavor. It takes a lot of time to develop those flavors and that is the essential part of the dish. Our challenge will be how to keep it consistent across different restaurants.
What ingredients have made your broth so delicious?
I take a chicken stock and use much more vegetables than traditional broths use. Instead of 10 percent, I use 30-40 percent. I add a lot of aromatics with herbs and spices (in teabags). Then I simmer all ingredients and add coconut milk and galangal to finish. It’s simple and easily executable.
Some people perceive Asian bowls to be spicy. How will yours compare?
In our tastings, we realized a lot of people like spicy foods, so they always want more heat than what I’m serving. But I don’t want to ostracize people who don’t like those extreme spices, so we make it in a way that people can add spice. We educate customers that on the table different condiments will increase heat level of the dish, like chili oil or chili flakes.
Although Bantu is fast-casual, what local purveyors are you working with?
Credit: Alexa Lampasona
Credit: Alexa Lampasona
We are using all grass-fed beef, and our pork is all-natural from Alabama’s Southern Family Farms. We’ve partnered with Simply Seoul for our kimchee. You don’t typically think of dessert with this cuisine, but we are using Lee’s Bakery’s bahn mi bread for our bread pudding and topping that with High Road ice cream. We like to support local and High Road has extreme Asian flavored ice creams.
Why did you select the Avalon development for your first location?
We are an amenity in a development that has already gained a huge draw. Bantu doesn’t have a huge brand recognition yet, so we need to be placed where there is huge amounts of traffic. Being the only fast casual currently, we thought it was a great fit for the crowd: shoppers, people at work, or going to the movies. I think Avalon is a great place to launch a brand, because as a new company we need to have cheerleaders in our corner.
About the Author
