Fresh Rolls expanding to downtown Tacoma

A University Place restaurant specializing in Vietnamese spring rolls is expanding to downtown Tacoma.

Fresh Rolls is constructing its second restaurant at 823 Pacific Ave., the former home of a Herfy’s and India Mahal. An opening date has not yet been set.

The menu for the downtown Fresh Rolls will duplicate the one at the University Place location, which opened in January 2014, but the downtown restaurant will have more noodle bowls.

Here’s a quick look at the menu:

Fresh rolls, also called spring or summer rolls, are the highlight of the menu. Those are the cold Vietnamese rolls filled with rice noodles, herbs and some kind of meat or tofu, rolled up in rice paper wrapper. They’re usually served with a tangy peanut vinaigrette.

The fresh roll menu lists tofu and vegetable; salmon; beef, barbecue pork; shrimp and grilled chicken rolls, sold in pairs, for $4.99. Because the restaurant has an emphasis on healthy dining, calorie counts are included on the roll menu (which lists 65-166 calories for the rolls, if you’re keeping track).

The menu also includes four banh mi sandwiches, priced $4.99, with chicken, pork, tofu or salmon. The cold noodle bowls are made with a choice of chicken, salmon, shrimp (with mango, apple or broccoli), lemongrass tofu or lemongrass beef ($5.99-$8.99). Rice bowls feature salmon or lemongrass tofu or beef ($6.99-$7.99) and there are four choices of pho, including a tofu version ($4.95-$5.49).

Bubble tea and Vietnamese iced coffee also will be served.

This story was originally published February 24, 2016 at 3:00 AM with the headline "Fresh Rolls expanding to downtown Tacoma."