| Vietnamese pho is an easy dish to pick up and enjoy. | | | | per your own taste. Pho does not require you to have |
| To the casual diner, consuming pho only requires your | | | | anything added, but adding some of these can |
| ability to place your order, and hold chopsticks and | | | | enhance your pho. |
| spoon in your hands. For those ready for something | | | | "Slurping Your Pho" Etiquette |
| more, pho etiquette is your next goal. There are | | | | You've done everything correctly up to this point. Your |
| specific customs to follow, while other protocols are | | | | original intent to simply grab a quick bowl of pho |
| left to individual interpretation and choice. Here's a | | | | seems ages ago. But finally, this is the moment! |
| collection of pho etiquette to help you come closer to | | | | Chopsticks in one hand (left or right,) spoon in the other, |
| pho and Viet culture. If in doubt, just remember one | | | | you go for it, with gusto. Of course it's really not |
| thing: showing respect for the elders goes a long way. | | | | "anything goes," because civility still counts in any |
| I'm assuming you're already proficient with a pair of | | | | culture. In Asia eating noodle requires slurping, and pho |
| chopsticks, so here we go. | | | | is no exception. So go ahead. Slurp. Just don't overdo |
| "Sitting" Etiquette | | | | it. |
| Before everyone sits down, look at your table and the | | | | "Finishing Your Pho" Etiquette |
| arrangement of the chairs. Decide where the head of | | | | The proper way to finish a meal in Vietnam is to put |
| the table is (or the most important sitting position) and | | | | your chopsticks across your bowl, like making a bridge. |
| yield to the eldest or most respected person in the | | | | This may conflict with Japanese convention to never |
| group. But it gets more complicated. If there's a very | | | | bridge chopsticks over a bowl, but Viet traditions follow |
| respected male (regardless of age,) then he may be | | | | many Chinese traditions, and this is one of them. While |
| the one to get "the chair." If you're not sure, just do the | | | | second and subsequent Viet generations outside of |
| safe thing: Hang back and let things fall into place. | | | | Vietnam begin to lose this tradition, it still is the |
| Someone will ask you to sit somewhere, and that's | | | | accepted way to end a meal. |
| what you want. Easy. | | | | Oh one more thing. While it's okay to order pho to go |
| "Ordering Pho" Etiquette | | | | or take out, taking leftovers with you is a no-no. You |
| Etiquette for ordering pho is fairly straightforward. For | | | | only have one chance at a bowl of pho. Plus it's |
| first-time pho diners finding yourselves alone in a pho | | | | disgusting, however you look at it. |
| restaurant, a little help from the order taker is obviously | | | | "Tipping" Etiquette |
| required. Needless to say, if you're in a group then | | | | Except for more expensive restaurants where service |
| assistance from an experienced friend is obvious. For | | | | charges or tipping may be added or expected, servers |
| the experienced pho diners, you probably already | | | | at most "typical" pho shops in Vietnam do not expect |
| know what you're doing. In any case, however, it's | | | | tips as part of their service. Tipping, to the common |
| proper to let the more senior member of the group | | | | Vietnamese (the working class,) is not what a |
| order first. This is consistent with the "respect for the | | | | Westerner may think. Tips are normally looked at as |
| elders" consideration discussed earlier. Everyone else | | | | "spare change" or handouts that a worker would |
| can select their orders in turn, and the youngsters' | | | | rather not accept. Except for beggars, workers, |
| foods can be ordered by one of the adults. | | | | including those providing a service, do not want to be |
| "Wiping Down Your Chopsticks and Spoon" Etiquette | | | | seen as accepting handouts. Tourism to Vietnam will |
| It's a habit for most Viet pho diners to wipe their | | | | change this over time, but for many places not |
| chopsticks and spoon before eating their pho in | | | | impacted greatly by foreign visitors, tipping will probably |
| restaurants. Some will start doing this as soon as they | | | | continue to be nonexistent and not expected. |
| sit down at the table, even before ordering. This is an | | | | Early Viet refugees carried this exact mindset to the |
| old habit of pho being a street food for the working | | | | western world. You can still see the same attitude |
| class in Vietnam, and old habits die hard. But don't | | | | among many Viet even today - this despite living in the |
| worry, your typical neighborhood restaurants are used | | | | U.S. for more than 30 years. With Vietnamese food |
| to Viet clientele doing this. They do not mind, as it does | | | | going mainstream in the U.S., tipping is becoming more |
| not necessarily reflect on the restaurant's sanitary | | | | commonplace and acceptable by the Viet service |
| condition. In fact it can be a sign of the client "making | | | | providers. |
| himself/herself at home," and it is good for the | | | | So what do you do? For U.S. restaurants, definitely |
| restaurant, especially if it's a repeat customer. | | | | leave tips. But if you're in Vietnam, leave tips if you're in |
| Progressive restaurants are very conscious of the | | | | a big city. If you find yourself in a place out in the |
| image that wiping chopsticks gives to their shops. | | | | boondocks, then tipping is not expected. But if you still |
| They'd rather not have wiping going on as they're | | | | must do it, then give it to the server directly and |
| trying to attract more non-Viet clientele. Some | | | | separately, with sincerity and friendliness. Or if the |
| restaurants have begun to insert pairs of chopsticks in | | | | owner and server are one and the same (or family |
| paper sleeves, an admirable attempt to show their | | | | members) then just add more to your payment and |
| care for the clients' well being. No matter, people still | | | | ask them to not return the change. Not "keep the |
| wipe, even though they know those plastic chopsticks | | | | change," but "no need to return the change." |
| have been through the commercial washer just like at | | | | "Paying" Etiquette |
| any other Grade A establishment. Alternatively, a few | | | | Americans and other non-Viet diners may have |
| restaurants also make available individually wrapped | | | | noticed that most Viet restaurants do not present |
| disposable wood chopsticks, which seems to | | | | checks at their tables. This is not bad service. It's just |
| successfully prevent wiping. | | | | because the restaurateurs do not want to look like |
| Now if you're in a high-class, five-star restaurant, then | | | | they're trying to shove you out the door by asking you |
| wiping down your chopsticks may reflect badly on you. | | | | to hurry up and pay. This is the common Viet |
| Be aware of your surrounding, the environment and | | | | restaurant way and it exists here in the U.S. too. |
| the other diners. If the restaurant expects you to be a | | | | So what do you do knowing all this? Just do what the |
| snob, then be a snob and do not make it look like you | | | | "regulars" do. Sometime knowledgeable servers will |
| don't belong. | | | | recognize a non-Viet customer and will present a |
| To wipe or not to wipe? You now know where and | | | | check after your meal (while not necessarily doing the |
| when. | | | | same for Viet customers.) But if this is not the case, |
| "Personalize Your Pho" Etiquette | | | | then you (and everybody else) just go to the register |
| Once your pho is at the table, everything you do from | | | | and pay there. No more confusion. |
| here on out is your own business. There normally are | | | | Summary: Pho Etiquette |
| 2 things you may want to do before digging in: adding | | | | There you have it. Pho Etiquette. I know, many of us |
| the garnishes (sprouts, culantro, basil, lime and sliced | | | | just want a bowl of pho, but I believe knowing these, |
| peppers,) and adding the sauces (hoisin sauce for pho | | | | and maybe practicing at least some of them, will get |
| and hot chili sauce, mainly the Sriracha brand in the | | | | you much closer to your pho than you would have |
| U.S.) that are already at the table. Whatever your | | | | otherwise. Pho etiquette gives you pho nirvana, so to |
| preferences, don't let anyone tell you "you must have | | | | speak. Enjoy. |
| this or you must add that." These are entirely optional | | | | |