MARYSVILLE — The Asian One restaurant chain was welcomed to Marysville with an official grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony June 16, and owner Rick Phan is pleased to continue his family tradition within the local community.

Phan and his brothers are the third generation of their family to work in the restaurant business, and the family’s restauranteur experience stretches all the way to China and Vietnam.

“It’s in the blood, genetic,” Phan said. “I worked in my family’s restaurants, but I always wanted one of my own. You can feel it like it’s a part of you.”

Asian One in Marysville is actually Phan’s third restaurant. He started with Pad Thai in Bellingham in 1993, and that restaurant’s success led him to branch out with Asian One in Burlington in 1997. Phan admitted that each restaurant has represented a learning curve, during which he’s found out which dishes customers preferred.

At the same time, Phan’s philosophy of healthy eating and healthy cooking permeates all three of his restaurants.

“I’m very conscious about what I serve because it’s what I eat myself,” Phan said. “I refuse to use frozen meat or vegetables. I cut my meat and vegetables fresh every day. I use Canola oil because it has zero trans fats, so you can deep fry food and it’s still good for you. I don’t use MSG or any unnatural chemicals.”

Phan reported that Mongolian beef and cashew chicken have become the more popular dishes at Asian One in Marysville, just as his sushi has become top-rated in Bellingham and Burlington.

“We already have regular customers who come in weekly,” Phan said. “If our staff doesn’t make you feel comfortable, just let me know, because if someone can’t make one of our customers comfortable, then they shouldn’t be working here. The smile is the key to success. When I first came to this country, I couldn’t speak English, but smiles are a universal language.”

Looking ahead, Phan hopes to expand south to Everett, Kirkland and even Seattle, but in the meantime, he’s grown fond of the Marysville community. Marysville Mayor Dennis Kendall, who performed Asian One’s ribbon-cutting and took lunch there immediately afterward, returned the sentiment.

“The food is outstanding, the service is great and this restaurant is a great addition to the city,” Kendall said. “It also offers healthy cuisine to our citizens, which goes along with our healthy living efforts.”

“Take care of yourselves and eat healthy food every day,” Phan said.

Asian One is located at 8630 36th Ave. NE in Marysville, and can be reached by phone at 360-653-2422. Its hours of operation are 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.