by C. Menegakos

Rooster by Antonio Garcia (“Chico”) outside Kampuchea Noodle Bar

he buzz – and, no doubt, marketing plan – for Kampuchea Noodle Bar was simple: Momofuku noodle bar, but bigger and nicer, on the Lower East Side, and Cambodian.

The open box, with its walls of windows on Rivington and Allen, has a sexy, 21st century tenement-meets-Shanghailounge vibe: Tin ceiling, dark concrete floors, high tables with Chinese stools, open kitchen, great people-watching. So far so good.

But the place stakes its reputation on its noodle dishes, particularly its “katiev,” a pho-like soup that appears in various combinations (and massive bowls). And somehow, despite obviously high-quality ingredients, carefully assembled, they fail to overwhelm. The broth in the filet mignon katiev remained muddy, even in the face of bushels of Thai basil. (The filet itself, served almost raw and allowed to cook in the soup, was excellent, contrasting nicely against chocolaty brisket.) A chicken and sausage version was similarly indistinct, and shared another problem: Noodles that basically disappeared, both on the palate and on the tongue.

Strangely, other parts of the menu are far more successful. A selection of savory “crepes,” including a feisty one with tender baby shrimp, demonstrate a brightness the soups lack. (They’re awkward to eat, though, with a crumbling shell double wrapped in a lettuce leaf.) Vietnamesestyle sandwiches on toasted baguettes, particularly a rapturous skirt steak version and a tangy, double eggplant creation, are ecstatically good, with crisp carrots and pickles bound by lush sauces, though there’s less diversity among the selections than the menu descriptions might suggest.

The sandwiches are also good value, which can’t be said of everything else. Although portions are huge, $17 is a lot for a bowl of noodle soup, especially when some excellent alternatives are available down the street for $3. And grilled corn with chili mayo and coconut may be a crowd pleaser – every table seems to hold an ear – but $7 is simply too much for corn on the cob.

Despite the ambivalence, Kampuchea has promise. The cooking and consistency have improved dramatically since it first opened, weighed down by over-inflated expectations. The chef and owner worked at Fleur du Sel, one of the city’s tightest restaurants, and he’s put in place a brilliant beer and wine selection. The room, though prohibitive to anyone under 18 or over 55, has the potential to be among the happiest downtown. And there are green mango and watermelonrind pickles and lychee fizzes. So, maybe it will never be Momofuko. It still might come into its own.

Kampuchea Noodle Bar, 80 Rivington (corner Allen), 212.529.3901; dinner Tue.-Sun, lunch Fri.-Sun.; credit cards; beer, wine & cocktails; plates $7-17; take away available, but no delivery.

Food Notes: Open for business: Grand Street’s own Two Boots LES. . .Coffee spot the Roasting Plant open on Orchard below Delancey, with North African Elyssa soon to join it . . . Three Monkeys, serving $6 falafel, replaces Paul’s Boutique . . . Satsko serves up sidewalk sushi on Eldridge & Stanton.