Still noodling around with the menu

Service: very new, still working out the kinks

Best dishes: beef pho, street corn, steamed pork buns

Vegetarian selections: limited

Price range: $

Credit cards: all major credit cards

Hours: 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Sundays-Thursdays, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays

Children: perfectly fine

Parking: multiple decks and valet

Reservations: no

Wheelchair access: yes

Smoking: no

Noise level: moderate to loud

Patio: yes

Takeout: yes

Address, phone: 4100 Avalon Blvd., Alpharetta. 678-248-5220

Website: bantunoodles.com

More options …

ATLANTA

Woo Nam Jeong Stone Bowl House

You’ll be hard pressed to find a better version of bibimbop in Atlanta than the one served in a hot stone bowl at Woo Nam Jeong. And this is also a great spot for Korean cuisine novices, as owner Young Hui Han — affectionately known as “Grandma” — is always happy to point beginners in the right direction. 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Mondays-Tuesdays, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays, closed Wednesdays. 5953 Buford Highway, Atlanta. 678-530-0844. $-$$

DULUTH

Honey Pig

Whether you are new to the Korean barbecue experience or are a seasoned vet, Honey Pig should be high on your list of places to try. Each table features a heated iron dome in the center, and you order plates of raw meat or fish that you grill yourself. Both the "honey pig" (pork belly) and the bulgogi (marinated beef) are highly recommended. This is a great spot to come with a group, but be prepared: You likely will leave uncomfortably full, because it's just too tempting for you to leave any of that pork belly behind. 11 a.m.-midnight Mondays-Thursdays and Sundays, 11 a.m.-2 a.m. Fridays-Saturdays. 3473 Old Norcross Road, Suite 304, Duluth. 770-476-9292, honeypigatl.com. $$

DECATUR

Sobban

From Cody Taylor and Jiyeon Lee, the duo behind Heirloom Market BBQ, Sobban flips their formula upside-down, bringing Lee's traditional Korean cooking to the forefront and infusing it with pops of Southern flavor. Dishes like the kimchi deviled eggs or smoked pork belly bossam are sure to be crowd-pleasers. And it's worth a trip here just for a taste of the silky fresh house-made tofu with miso mousse and soy-ginger reduction. 11:30 a.m.-9:30 p.m. Tuesdays-Thursdays, 11:30 a.m.-10:30 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays, closed Sundays-Mondays. 1788 Clairmont Road, Decatur. 678-705-4233, sobban.com. $-$$

With the opening of Avalon, the swanky new 86-acre mixed-use development up Ga. 400 North, eating out in Alpharetta has gotten a lot more interesting.

Opened at the end of October, Avalon brings an explosion of much-needed dining options to the northern suburbs. Among the big-name restaurants setting up shop are Bantam + Biddy, Bocado Burger Bar, the El Felix and Antico Pizzeria & Caffe Gio.

Joining this already impressive roster is Bantu, a new pan-Asian street food and noodle concept from chef Ciaran Duffy, formerly of Rainwater and Fado, and partners Philip Roness and Ian Macken of Meehan’s Public House.

The small space feels bright and inviting, dominated by clean lines and communal wooden bench seating. Everything from the branding to the design feels slick and meticulously crafted, without seeming disingenuous. It’s certainly ripe for replication if the concept takes off.

Duffy’s menu melds multiple Asian cuisines, integrating Thai, Chinese, Vietnamese and Japanese. The lines between cultures blur frequently, and Duffy, a classically trained French chef, adds his own twists to many of these dishes.

In many ways, Duffy put himself in an unenviable position. He’s taken on the task of serving a wide range of Asian dishes in a space that is sure to draw shoppers and passers-by unfamiliar and potentially intimidated by these styles of cuisine.

Simultaneously, he can’t stray too far from his traditional source material, lest he alienate the hard-core pho and ramen connoisseurs who make the trek just to get a good bowl of noodles.

Pleasing these two groups at the same time is no easy task.

I could almost feel the indignant rage of angry Yelpers when my bowl of beef pho ($11.95) arrived, and instead of the crystal-clear broth I expected, I found my rice noodles swimming in a deep brown stock. And I swear I could hear shouts of “Blasphemy!” and “Buford Highway!” when I noticed chunks of spiced chicken sausage fraternizing with slices of medium-rare beef shoulder tender.

Fortunately, the portion-sizes crowd can’t complain much — this is one formidable bowl of pho. I challenge the hungriest among you to finish every bite.

When it comes to ethnic cuisine, I find that focusing too much on the “traditional” can become a hang-up or hindrance, so I quieted the snarky voices in my head and discovered a bowl of noodles that burst at the seams with flavor. Duffy’s broth is nothing short of fantastic — rich, intensely beefy and complex.

Is it the same pho you can get at 20 other shops around town? Most certainly not, and that’s something to applaud instead of deride.

Similarly, I can’t say enough good things about the salty-sweet charred street corn ($4.88). Slathered in soy mayo, with chunks of bacon and a dusting of sung, aka meat floss — dehydrated and shredded pork — this is worth popping in for as a snack between shopping stops.

I also thoroughly enjoyed the more traditional steamed pork buns ($6.88), and found the pork to be deliciously tender. It paired well with the bite of pickled veggies and coriander.

But not every dish here hits the high-water mark.

I’m not sure which part of the pork belly ramen ($12.95) frustrated me more, the missing kimchi promised on the menu, the disappointing broth, or the fact that service was so discombobulated (more on that shortly) that my soft-boiled egg was just plain boiled after sitting at the window for far too long.

And while the meat on my Thai beef ($9.55) banh mi had decent flavor, it was lost in the chewy bread.

Originally designed for counter service, Bantu converted to table service late last month, and it is clear that there are still some kinks to work out. However, on realizing that the wait staff was all of a week old during my visits, perhaps cutting them some slack is in order.

Bantu is a new concept that is still going through some growing pains, and it is clear that even in the two months since opening, multiple improvements and adjustments have been made.

In fact, by the time this review is published, Duffy will have unveiled a revamped menu. He is adding street food, dim sum and tacos. Noodle bowls and their prices are being slightly downsized. And some dishes are disappearing altogether, like the well-intentioned but unfortunate Korean barbecue “Twinkies” ($5.88).

Overall, I saw more good than bad here, and the fact that they are continuing to evolve gives me great hope. Duffy has laid a good foundation and cooks with passion. After a little more fine-tuning, don’t be surprised to find a Bantu coming to a neighborhood near you.