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This location on Battleground Avenue has been home to several failed ventures, some of which came and went before I could visit. Thanks to a recommendation from local veterinarian Dr. Tim Tribbett, I managed to get to Vietnamese Garden about a month after its opening on Christmas Eve.

I'm not only glad I made the effort, I'm ecstatic. The food here is alive with flavors and aromas. These turned out to be among my most enjoyable meals of the year (so far).

A nondescript exterior gives way to interior colors that are as vibrant as the cuisine. Coral walls rise from tile floors. A community table, topped in bamboo, lines the center, offering especially attractive seating for single diners.

The wine list is not only one of the most compelling I have seen in an Asian restaurant, it would earn commendations for both quality and value (pricing in the mid-$20s) in comparison to any other property in the Triad. About two dozen selections are available by the glass.

If you order something hot-spicy, consider Hogue ($6/glass, $22/bottle) or Chateau St. Michelle ($5.50/glass, $21/bottle) Riesling, in particular.

That suggestion should not be interpreted to mean that Vietnamese Garden's food is hot. On the contrary, unless you request more intensity, everything comes out pretty tame, just aromatic.

I often begin meals in Asian restaurants with fresh spring rolls. Vietnamese Garden's version, Goi Cuon ($3.95) - the names of dishes are always listed in English, sometimes in Vietnamese as well - contains large shrimp, thinly-sliced pork, vermicelli, shredded lettuce and carrot, plus bean sprouts, fresh cilantro and basil, wrapped in rice paper. A peanut sauce adds another dimension.

Chili Chicken in Lettuce Wraps ($6.95) are presented with chilled, crisp Romaine leaves instead of the usual iceberg, which moves this version up a notch in my estimation. You spread these with a mixture of breast meat, diced red bell peppers, water chestnuts, peanuts, chopped scallions, and fresh cilantro. Delightful.

Papaya Salad ($7.95) is wonderfully fresh-tasting, a function of julienned papaya and carrots, joined by fresh cilantro, shrimp and sliced pork, their flavors extended by a pungent-sweet fish sauce.

Goi Ga (Vietnamese Chicken Salad, $7.95) represents an exception to the generally mild level of intensity found here. Breast meat is mixed with shredded cabbage and crushed peanuts, sprinkled with a fiery fish sauce. I loved it.

Either of these salads (above) could be considered as a light entrée. My wife and I found ourselves taking home portions of all the "real" entrees. No one is likely to leave this place hungry.

Cari Ga (Chicken Curry, $8.95) places breast meat, cooked onions, bamboo shoots, plus red and green bell peppers among lots of clipped fresh basil, in a moderately intense curry broth redolent of coconut. Cari Tom (Shrimp Curry, $10.95) repeats that luscious curry broth, this time swimming with large shrimp, along with bamboo shoots and soft onions.

We were pleased with the flavor and texture of the main ingredient in Bun Bo Xao Lan (Vermicelli with Beef and Lemon Grass, $8.95). Lean (no gristle or fat), thinly sliced beef, as well as bean sprouts and soft vermicelli pasta, are accented by a pungent-sweet fish sauce.

Do Bien Xao Ot (Mixed Seafood with Chiles, $12.95) may have been my favorite main course, although I would be hard pressed to pick one over the other. Large, deveined shrimp, tender scallops (but some of the hard tendon "feet" had not been removed), snow peas, red and green bell peppers, and onions rested in steaming fish broth, topped with clipped, fresh cilantro.

Canh Chua (Sea Bass Sweet and Sour Soup in Hot Pot, $17.95) contrasts the flavors in the soup, hosting large pieces of sea bass, augmented by fresh tomatoes and chunks of pineapple, plus bean sprouts, okra and celery.

I found the dessert menu surprising, to say the least. Vietnamese cuisine has experienced a strong influence from the French, and Vietnamese Garden's desserts would be right at home in an elegant French cafe. Marquise au Chocolate ($5.95) is a cylinder of chocolate genoise and chocolate ganache topped with a baked hazelnut and a chocolate candy leaf, centered in a spider web of crème Anglaise and chocolate sauce. If you do not want a full Vietnamese meal, this restaurant should also be considered as a serious dessert café. (One caveat: On the night I had dessert, no coffee was available.)

I subsequently learned that these desserts are not prepared in-house. They are prepared by an artisan dessert maker but sold through a major distributor.

Kiet Nguyen is chef-manager-owner. He formerly owned Kiha of Japan (then on West Market Street, now on High Point Road). He was also proprietor of the Kiha location on Old Oak Ridge Road; it is now owned by his mother. He is Vietnamese (the name Kiha comes from the first syllables of his name and his wife's), but he has studied Japanese cuisine and speaks a little Japanese, and he trained as a sushi chef. His grandmother owned a restaurant in Vietnam, and he began cooking there when he was about 12 years old.

I'm a fan. Vietnamese cuisine of this quality on this side of town is infinitely welcome!

John Batchelor is a freelance contributor who has been reviewing restaurants for more than 20 years. You can reach him at P.O. Box 20848, Greensboro, NC 27420 or send e-mail to john.e.batchelor@gmail.com.