Nông Thôn

10086 San Pablo Ave. (corner of Central Avenue), El Cerrito; (510) 647-8038; 10 a.m. - 10 p.m. daily

Vietnamese; casual; beer and wine; moderate prices; daily lunch special; street parking; vegan/group/child friendly; free WiFi

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Left vacant for ten months by the closure of two cafes in as many years, Central Perk and 33 Revolutions, this large, corner space in El Cerrito's fledgling entertainment district is now the home of Vietnamese restaurant Nông Thôn.

Jenny Tang, owner of Oakland's popular Binh Minh Quan, opened Nông Thôn as a sister restaurant in October.

Nông Thôn means "countryside," reflecting its traditional Southern Vietnamese cuisine and décor, which makes full use of a cavernous room and tall, open rafters.

If Las Vegas were to open a Vietnamese countryside-themed casino-hotel, it'd look like this.

A faux water ox grazes, there's a fish pond, and the server station has a thatched roof. Modern touches include comfy pale wood banquettes and walls done in moss green and burnt orange. Large props notwithstanding, there's plenty of room here – but  you may need a sweater on cool days.

Nông Thôn's menu is abundant with staples, like clay pots, rice plates and noodles, and it includes specialty items, like wild boar and 7-course beef. You won't find many varieties of pho, the traditional rice noodle soup, though. Desserts and fruit drinks round things out.

Service was friendly, efficient and refreshingly honest at times.

While I enjoyed almost everything I tried, I found a few things a bit too sweet — even for Southern Vietnamese cuisine — and somewhat restrained in the sour and spicy departments.

Significant missteps involved fried foods, and meat portions were not generous, overall.

We first ordered Nông Thôn's Taste ($15), a sampler with mini summer rolls, spring salad and jicama rolls, a stuffed chicken wing and tofu salad. When we asked our server if this was a good choice, he said, "It's OK."  He overstated.

While not greasy, the fried items were barely warm, and we had to rely on fish sauce for flavor. The four summer rolls managed to retain some snap, but the chicken and vegetable filling was mushy and bland.

Übercompressed, lackluster stuffing, dry meat and limp skin made the stuffed chicken wing unpalatable. The fresh rolls were flavorful and bright, but it was difficult to get a mouthful because they were served like cut sushi rolls and fell apart easily. The peanut sauce tasted like hoisin with lots of chopped peanuts.

Thankfully, an iceberg lettuce cup contained a delightful tofu salad. Sautéed tofu, cabbage, carrot and mint were tossed in a sweet, sour, salty dressing with a little pungency. Topped with peanuts and fried onion, it showcased Vietnamese flavors and textures well.

The Beef Salad ($10), with flavors similar to the tofu salad, also was successful. My only complaint, other than a sweet edge, was that we couldn't detect the rice powder.

The generous, beautifully composed Combination Noodle Soup ($7) had a fragrant, light, cloudless broth, plenty of thin egg noodles, greens, shrimp, shrimp balls, sliced meat and manicured squid squares.

I happily ordered my favorite make-your-own-wraps dish, Steamed Fine Rice Vermicelli with Grilled Chicken and Imperial Rolls ($11). Softened rice paper and lettuce leaves are filled with vermicelli, pickled and fresh vegetables, herbs and fried spring rolls or chicken — and dunked in fish sauce. Cold, crisp vegetables and leafy herbs contrast with the soft, sticky noodles and warm, savory chicken and spring rolls. A little sauce and you achieve nirvana.

While this dish offered more proof of the high-quality, fresh ingredients used, the experience fell short because there was not enough grilled chicken to provide a discernable warm, savory element.

The four Imperial rolls were also too insubstantial to hold their own, and their contribution was lost among the other wrap ingredients.

Cube Beef Steak ($11) offered tender, stir-fried steak, light lemon sauce and a profusion of almost-caramelized onion over sturdy, wilt-resistant iceberg lettuce. The meat-infused lemon sauce infiltrated the ring of out-of-season tomato slices, rendering them delicious.

We tried a Rice plate with Shredded Pork, Pork Meat Ball and Pork Cake ($7). Rice plates here are upscale: beautifully presented but with modest quantities of meat and one unmolded rice bowl's worth of rice – and not broken rice. While good, I suggest a different item for a 17 year-old football player. 

No cup of broth was included, as is often served with a rice plate, but there was a little salad.

The four pork meatballs and pork cake — more a fluffy egg cake with vermicelli and pork - had nice flavor, with the cold, shredded pork tossed in rice powder adding something unique.

A classic Catfish Stew in Clay Pot ($9) contained three perfectly cooked catfish steaks in a thick, caramelized, sweet and salty sauce with pungent notes. A hair too sweet – but complex and intense.

Similarly unrestrained was the Simmered Pork Spare Ribs Stewed ($9). These savory riblets were chewy and enrobed in a rich sauce with perfect balance. Sweet notes were not able to frighten off the saltiness here.

Finally, we had the Beef in Aromatic Lot Leaf ($8). A generous supply of lot, or pepper, leaves stuffed with minced beef arrived with lettuce, mint, and an exceedingly pungent sauce. The little bundles were peppery and vegetal. Overall, a dish of strong, unexpected flavors.

As an El Cerritan, I'm looking forward to Nông Thôn settling in and finding its niche as it works out a few kinks. The full tables during my visits are certainly a good sign.

The challenge over the long haul will be satisfying two sets of diners whose needs may conflict: those who are simply looking for a nice, local dining experience, and hardcore fans of the cuisine who know it well and are aware of the competition.