Couple brings flavors of Vietnam to Whidbey

Vibrant teas, flavored coffees and savory pho are the specialties at a restaurant opening in Oak Harbor this weekend.

Preparation is finally complete after seven months of renovation transforming Frank’s Place Family Dining on Highway 20 into Trinh’s Corner, the city’s only Vietnamese restaurant. Ahead of a soft opening Saturday, Oct. 18 and Sunday, Oct. 19, owners Trinh and Jason Musni shared that witnessing such an undertaking come to fruition feels unreal.

“I definitely feel a lot of pressure,” Trinh Musni said. “But at the same time, very excited.”

An authentic dining experience is guaranteed at Trinh’s Corner, which dishes up banh mi, Vietnamese sandwiches loaded with toppings and served on baguettes, goi cuon and cha gio, or spring rolls and egg rolls and bun thit nuong, or vermicelli noodle bowls, as well.

Trinh Musni, the restaurant’s namesake, manager and cook, grew up in Vietnam and inherited her love of cooking from learning how to prepare meals from her mom. That passion accompanied her when she moved to the U.S. as a 22-year-old and became a kind of expression of love in her marriage to Jason Musni; the couple met in college in Oregon.

“I love to cook. I love to make him food every day,” Trinh said. “So it’s just like, let’s just make this a restaurant so everybody can try my food.”

The Musnis, however, would not seriously entertain the idea of starting a restaurant until after moving to Oak Harbor in 2016 — Jason, stationed at Naval Air Station Whidbey, works as an aviation structural mechanic and specializes in servicing ejection seats of EA-18G Growlers. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Trinh Musni sold meals to help make ends meet, but demand for her culinary expertise endured.

“She did that temporarily, but then when we stopped doing that, people started asking, ‘When are you guys gonna sell again? We want to eat your food,’” Jason Musni recalled.

After Frank’s closed, the Musnis inquired about the building and signed the lease for it in March. Since then, Jason Musni worked with contractors to completely revamp the interior. A coat of bright yellow paint now covers the building’s previous red-, white-and-blue exterior, and a bougainvillea mural greets guests upon entry; Jason Musni said the flowering plant is abundant in Hoi An, a historical city on the coast of Vietnam.

Meanwhile, Trinh Musni attended culinary school in Vietnam to further develop her professional skills.

“It’s very interesting,” she said of her experience. “It’s different from what I learned from my mom.”

Acquiring a food safety permit turned out to be a lengthy process, pushing the Musnis’ original opening date from late August to October. Although the couple is relieved to know they surmounted their fair share of obstacles in the process of starting their first business, they know this is just the beginning.

“It’s nice to finally get to this point because it was a long process, there was a lot of work,” Jason said. “But at the same time, it doesn’t end there. We’re going to the next challenge now.”

Trinh and Jason Musni are admittedly nervous about the soft opening this weekend, as excitement is high for the opening.

“I’ve never been more excited for anything in this town more than this restaurant opening,” one comment on Trinh’s Corner’s Facebook page reads.

“Please hurry, I’m going through pho withdrawals,” pleaded another commenter.

The pressure is on to deliver, but the Musnis know success could be just around the corner.

“We are scared, not gonna lie,” Jason said. “But it’s part of it. If we don’t do this, then we’re never gonna know.”

The soft opening menu this weekend is limited to pho, spring and egg rolls, croffle — a croissant and waffle hybrid dessert — and drinks. Service begins at noon and runs until supplies last.

The Musnis considers drinks and pho their specialty — pictured here from left to right is a creme brulee Vietnamese coffee, a strawberry oolong and jasmine tea and an ube foam Vietnamese coffee.

Photo by Allyson Ballard The bougainvillea mural inside Trinh’s Corner is reminiscent of those found in Vietnam.

Photo by Allyson Ballard Trinh’s Corner, which replaced Frank’s Place Family Dining, is unrecognizable inside after months of renovation leading up to the soft opening this weekend.