Quote:
Originally Posted by Cecil Terwilliger
Stupid question.
Vietnamese restaurants in calgary. Most times I've ever gone we order individually. However it is my understanding that traditionally in vietnam food is eaten communally, the way we'd eat chinese food. Rice in a bowl and then place some of the meat from each communal dish on top.
Normally we order vermicelli or pho and eat it ourselves.
So how do most vietnamese places in calgary operate? For an uncultured caveman like myself, is there some way to tell which dishes are meant to be communal and which aren't? I can't recall anyone ever sharing pho but I could see how vermicelli, stir fry or rice dishes could be ordered for a whole table.
I know that at the end of the day I can just eat and order whatever I want. I'm just curious as which dishes are which from an etiquette perspective. What is the "right" way.
To be clear, I mean how is it done in Calgary, not vietnam. If I go to essence of saigon or the little place in Beacon Hill, I've always been under the impression that all (most?) dishes are individual. Or am I wrong?
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Many years ago, I went on a date with a girl with Vietnamese ancestry and we had a communal meal together, consisting of wraps that we made ourselves. All the ingredients (both raw and cooked) were laid out on several plates and we would take what we wanted and wrap them ourselves in rice paper (after soaking them in warm water for a few seconds). It was fun and delicious. I have never been back though. The restaurant was in a strip mall in Castleridge, on northwestern corner of the intersection of McKnight and 52nd St.