By Eliza Ridgeway

Dung and Jenny Nguyen focus on pan-Asian flavors and fresh ingredients in their cuisine.

Vietnamese cuisine has come to the intersection of First and Main streets as Minh’s. Owners Jenny and Dung Nguyen have transformed the space at 397 Main St., formerly Shanghai Gourmet, into a quiet retreat of widely spaced tables, dark wood and soothing colors. On the deep red rear wall, a peaceful Buddha face gazes out over the room.

Minh’s takes the grilled meats, aromatic sauces and noodles of pan-Asian cuisine and adds an emphasis on fresh vegetables and herbs that makes Vietnamese cooking unique. Jenny clues diners in to the subtleties of her dishes, many of which come with a suggestion from the chef.

For instance, a vegetarian egg roll, already delicious with shitake mushrooms, carrots and jicama, comes alive when eaten Vietnamese-style - wrapped in mint and cilantro leaves, then lettuce and then dipped in a citrus garlic sauce. The green, raw herbiness of the leaves offsets the salty, rich elements of the roll, while the sauce adds sweetness with the faintest hint of heat.

“We experiment with every single aspect of vegetables,” Jenny said. She said the menu lists only particular crowd pleasers from their Milpitas location, but will expand as she becomes familiar with Los Altos customers’ taste.

“It’s a similar palate to Thai, but fresh,” she said. “It’s good for the health-conscious customer.”

Minh’s is part of a chain of restaurants but a family affair nonetheless - the Nguyens learned the business at their family’s Minh’s Vietnamese Restaurant in Milpitas and opened the Los Altos eatery as a husband and wife team, bringing in an expert chef - Jenny’s mother, Lien Tran.

Cooking has run in the family for generations. Tran’s own mother ran a cafe in Vietnam. Now, Tran can be found orchestrating the kitchen action on Main Street, steam from a wok curling around her short, silver hair.

One particular specialty is the hard-to-find Northern-style charbroiled pork, in which mint, lettuce and a light anchovy sauce bring out the flavor of the meat. Traditional oyster, fish and anchovy flavors add a savory, nuanced element to many of the sauces on the menu, but need not deter the faint of heart.

“People think, oyster, oh, not good - but we have an oyster base made out of mushrooms,” Jenny said. Vegetarian versions of many dishes and sauces are available on request, as are several naturally gluten-free entrees. Most dishes are not spicy, but diners can request added heat.

Almost everything on the menu is less than $10. Diners unfamiliar with Vietnamese cuisine can find some items on the menu familiar from Chinese restaurants, such as the bird’s-nest-noodle plate. In Minh’s version, sautéed chicken and vegetables are tossed in the house’s secret sauce, a light combination of chicken consommé, garlic and oyster sauce, and nestled on a bed of fine noodles that puff up after being plunged into the deep fryer. The dish is served with a steak knife to cut through the golden pile of crisp, flavorful noodles.

The Nguyens said they picked Los Altos after experiencing the relaxed, friendly atmosphere of downtown. “We found the area peaceful,” Jenny said. “People don’t rush you. You can take the time to eat.”

Minh’s is located at 397 Main St. and open Wednesdays - Mondays 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 5-9 p.m. For more information, call 941-1168.