I felt excited about going to the Chinese Noodle Restaurant as soon as a friend and I decided on the lunch spot. Despite knowing the possibility of receiving less-than-stellar service based on previous visits, my anticipation still built over several days because I was certain the food would be delicious.

Beef Brisket and Sui Gow Noodle Soup, my order.

Are you feeling a little bit of anticipation, too?

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Americans put the small fish on pizza, Italians add it to pasta sauces, and the Thai? They crisp anchovies up with a sprinkle of chili flakes.

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Is it sacrilegious to dine at a Vietnamese restaurant that serves pho and not order it? Especially on a perfect-weather day for the bowl of slippery noodles in steamy broth, one that was rainy and gloomy?

Probably. But because I regularly commit a dining faux pas—I always ask for a fork at Chinese restaurants despite being very proficient in using chopsticks—I’m okay with it. Besides pho, there’s another dish I really like to order at Vietnamese restaurants, which you’ll see.

A cup of pleasantly non-bitter green tea. It offered a similar comfort that a bowl of pho would have.

The ubiquitous fish sauce that accompanies so many Vietnamese dishes.

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