SAN JOSE — In the 1980s and early ’90s, this city’s downtown gained recognition for famous Vietnamese eateries — some now shuttered — that began to dot the area. Several were just dives nestled on some of the commercial strips near San Jose State University.

Nhà Tôi is nothing like that.

It’s a new restaurant co-owned by Bùi Truong, mother of director Tony Bùi of “Three Seasons” fame and sister of Ðon Duong, the actor. It sits on William Street near 11th Street, and its name is carved in cursive block letters on the front. A marquee is mounted on the side of the roof. The half-glass facade, with dark amber tints, wraps around urplish adobe-colored one-story building.

As we approached, the drapes were drawn and two entrances in the center also were tinted, so it was hard to tell from the outside that it was open. When we pulled the door and went inside, we were pleased. Indeed, it is no hole-in-the-wall place.

The L-shaped interior is tastefully designed with rectangular rice-paper lanterns used for ceiling lamps, whose beige color matched perfectly with the upper wall paint, and the dark wine color tablecloths complemented the wood paneling. Two-color sheer curtains run the whole upper-half glass perimeter of the room. We took the table next to the window and sat down. A waitress brought over the menus, extensive with more than 150 dishes.

The cuisine is, of course, Vietnamese with an eclectic mix of the three regions, plus a smattering of the French and continental selections and Southern cooking, such as Sauteed Chicken Dijon, Pepper Steak, Filet Mignon, Pasta de Mare with seafood,  Scampi, Rotisserie Chicken and Coq au Vin, complete with appetizers. There’s 15 non-Vietnamese dishes out of 152 fares, a very large culinary delight that invites exploration.

By the time we got there, it was nearly 2 p.m., and the eatery had 20-some guests, including us. Since we were in the mood for Vietnamese home cooking, we ordered some very Northern dishes with the expert suggestion of the owner, Miss Truong.

Among what we tasted was the Caramelized Mackerel, which accompanied very well the Grilled Rice Patty and the salted bok choy. There is an art in cooking the patty, for it’s nearly impossible to do it well with an automatic rice cooker, which nearly every Vietnamese household owns.

Normally I do not like fish, but in this selection, it was prepared at the right temperature, allowing the coconut juice to simmer in the fish meat, giving it a succulent, chunky texture. The caramelized sauce coated it with just the precise amount, and added to the juice, gave the dish a smooth, sweet flavor with a trace of saltiness. The pickled bok choy, the stalk still crisp with every bite, rounded out the fish taste with it salty aftertaste, heightening the taste buds alternately between the juicy, salty and sweetened flavors. All this, eaten with the slightly chewy rice, gave it the perfect home and country flavor. Simple but delightful.

The garlic-sauteed watercress in soya paste was a favorite of mine and gave one almost all the average daily allowance of vitamins needed. A dark green vegetarian dish that is very popular in Vi?t Nam, it more often is sauteed simply with a lot of chopped-up garlic in oil, with a couple teaspoons of shrimp paste and/or fish sauce. Originated in Northern Vi?t Nam as a commoner’s dish, it has become the delicacy overseas for people nostalgic for a taste of home style cooking. The soya paste (made expressly for Buddhist monks and vegetarians) had a soft creamy texture and tasted like a cross between cream cheese and cottage cheese, but a bit saltier and richer. When sauteed in the dish, it gave it the right seasoning, so no dipping or sauce was required.

To top off the meal, please take a bowl of rice, ladled with the Fish Cakes Tomatoes and Dill Soup as most Vietnamese do, or if you prefer, taste the soup by itself as Westerners are accustomed to. This is rightly down-home pleasant, a comfort food that one cannot do without. The dill, tomato and cilantro really set off the broth with its tart and fragrant aroma, contrasting the plump tomato wedges with the fish cakes. Some cooking variations have the fish paste formed into little  portions and dropped into the soup without deep-frying them. I much prefer Nhà Tôi’s style for it gives the cakes a lesser fish smell and better flavor and crunchy texture.

One little blunder of mine and my friend’s was to order two fruity drinks, papaya and taro shakes, which did not taste natural to begin with. To have them with the meal really detracted from the tasty food. Next time, we should try a beer or white wine instead.