San Diego Metropolitan - Dining

Anh Luong Nguyen smiles as she tells of immigrating to the United States when she was 19 years old. It was 1974 when the new bride and her 6-month-old baby arrived “on the first bus” to Camp Pendleton after fleeing by plane from Vietnam during the closing months of the war.

She didn’t cook a lot growing up — “It was my mother’s kitchen.” But as a young wife, she learned to recreate the dishes of her childhood by remembering the flavors of the dishes.

After working alongside her husband for more than 20 years in a business he started shortly after settling in San Diego, Nguyen took a risk and, without any formal training or restaurant experience, opened the first riceJones in Mission Valley in 1999. In June, she took over the former Savor restaurant space on Fifth Avenue and opened her second riceJones.

The space, much like the fare, is clean and simple, bright and modern. She blends the cuisine of her native Vietnam with the flavors of California and the country that adopted her – hence the hip-sounding name, riceJones.

I started with the “Spring Rolls with Shrimp” ($5.75). A medley of fresh vegetables, accented with cilantro and fresh chilled shrimp, are tucked tightly into a purse made of rice paper. A spicy peanut sauce rides shotgun and is a nice complement to this refreshingly clean spring roll.

The “Cha Gio” ($5.75) is a slight twist on traditional Vietnamese crispy egg rolls. The chef trades out the usual pork filling for seasoned ground turkey to make them more popular with American clientele. It is a good compromise — they are less fatty but still have a good texture and taste. They are served with crisp lettuce leaves (for wrapping), fresh cilantro and a clear dipping sauce made of diluted fish sauce and rice wine vinegar.

If you’re feeling a bit under the weather, go for the “Pho Ga” ($6.25). This wash basin-sized (OK, I’m exaggerating a bit here) bowl of chicken noodle soup makes your grandma’s soup taste like bath water (and I’m not exaggerating here). This clear, flavorful noodle soup is topped with sliced chicken breast, onion and cilantro. It is finished with a squeeze of fresh lime that adds an additional layer of flavor and fresh taste.

The “Spicy Chicken” ($9.50) is downright spicy, so keep your sake close at hand. Marinated chicken breast meat is cooked, thinly sliced and sautéed with hot red chili sauce, mushrooms, onions and fresh basil. It is laid on a bed of steamed white rice and garnished with red-hot chili peppers. Whew!

Nguyen confides that her “riceJones Curry” ($9.25) is a rendition of her high school best friend’s East Indian style curry. Although she omits the milk and coconut milk, she says it’s definitely a bit of a swipe. The curry blend is it’s own combination of spices. The dish is available vegetarian or made with chicken or shrimp. It is a slightly sweet, spicy red curry with carrots, pea pods and mushrooms and is served with steamed rice.

One of the most popular dishes on the menu is the “Shrimp Wrap on a Cane” ($12.95). Shrimp is pulverized, bound with egg whites, wrapped around a sugar cane and grilled. This patty-slash-kabob-style dish is delicious, different and fun to eat. Be sure to enjoy the sugarcane afterwards. Give it a little bite and take in the flavor — its sweet aftertaste is addictive.

The only problem I see with riceJones is trying to find a parking spot. Fifth Avenue is one way and the traffic goes at a pretty fast clip, but be persistent, this little bright spot is well worth a couple of circles around the block.