I LOVE FOOD!!!
Besides food, I have a huge passion for culture as well.
So, whenever I go to a restaurant,
I pay close attention to the food.
And the people's behavior.
I used to live in The U.S and now I'm back in Vietnam.
And I found some interesting culture differences
Between Vietnamese restaurants in Vietnam and Vietnamese restaurants in The U.S
So today, I would like to share with you those differences.
So, maybe you'll learn some more about Vietnamese insights.
And it can help you prepare when visiting Vietnam in the future.
In Vietnam, each restaurant serves its own specialty.
So for example, if you want Pho,
You would go to a specific restaurant that be served Pho.
And if you want rice, you would go to a different restaurant.
Unlike Vietnamese restaurant in The U.S
Where you can find so many Vietnamese dishes from different regions.
Like you can find Phở, Bún bò Huế and Cơm tấm at the same time.
It's very rare in Viet Nam.
That you can find a restaurant that has a combination of all Vietnamese dishes like that.
Except, ah, it's a buffet or it's high-end restaurants that maybe served tourists.
Another interesting thing that I found when I first moved to Vietnam is that
The chef is usually up front.
Usually in The U.S,
The chef and kitchen would be hidden from the customers, right?
But in Vietnam, the chef is just like cooking,
And then like asking the new customers when they come in.
And I found out it's pretty cool.
Because you can see how your food is being prepared.
So, have you ever noticed
In a Vietnamese restaurant in The U.S,
Vietnamese customers usually just seat themselves.
Or they even order before getting seated.
I found it pretty fascinating because I understand the reason why.
The reason is because like I said earlier
Each restaurant will serve specific food.
So usually Vietnamese people know what they want beforehand.
Before they come into the restaurant.
And especially Vietnamese people are very loyal when it come to food.
So, they know what they want all the time.
And the third reason is that
Vietnamese people usually bring their whole family or their friends
To come to the Vietnamese restaurant that they usually come and eat.
So, that's why they needed to order right the way.
So they don't have to wait for the food too long.
Because they just have so many people.
So I've heard a lot of people said that
Vietnamese waiters are so impatient.
Because they would stand there.
And wait for you until you make an order.
- Here the menu. - Thank you.
- I will take number 1
- And an orange juice, please.
- Sure.
One medium beef Pho and an orange juice without ice and sugar !!!
Do you need anything else?
The reason why Vietnamese people have that behavior
Is because usually Vietnamese customers would know what they want
Before coming in the restaurant.
So, the ordering process would have been faster.
Plus in a Vietnamese restaurants,
An employee will wear so many hats.
So for example, he/she has to take an order
After that, they have to prepare some condiments.
And maybe even have to pack inside.
And have to bring out the food.
So, they just multitask a lot.
And, the reason why they take order so fast.
Is that they want to finish one task.
Before they can move on the next task.
Please, don't be hurry.
Just take your time.
Because Vietnamese people know that you're new to the restaurant.
And if you have any questions,
You want to ask about some recommendations.
Just don't hesitate to ask the waiter or waitress.
I bet he/she will be happy to assist you.
One more tip before going into a Vietnamese restaurant in Vietnam.
Is that you can do some research,
Ah, look at the picture of the food
To see if that what you really want.
And just read some ingredients
Because sometimes they have peanuts or fish sauces in there.
If you're allergic to peanuts or vegetarian.
So yeah, just do your research before going into a restaurant.
So it can save you a lot of time.
And it can save the waiter a lot of time as well.
In America, slurping is considered rude.
And sometimes, uneducated.
But in Vietnam, slurping is totally acceptable
Because Vietnamese people eat a lot of noodles.
And it's so hard to not to slurp, right?
When you go into a restaurant, everyone slurps.
And it's like a slurping orchestra.
And your slurping wouldn't be noticeable.
So yeah, you're allowed to slurp in Vietnam.
So, in Vietnam, it's quite hard to get the server's attention.
Because, like I said earlier,
They're wearing multiple hats.
But when I was in The U.S, I was quite shocked
Seeing the servers came and asked me if the food is okay.
And if I needed anything.
However, in Viet Nam,
Asking questions while the customers are eating
Is considered rude.
So next time when you come to a Vietnamese restaurant
Either in Viet Nam or in The U.S,
Just pay attention to the Vietnamese customers.
Because the servers won't ask the Vietnamese customers too many questions.
Because they understand the culture.
So yeah, to get the waiter's attention in Viet Nam is quite hard.
But I'm gonna show you how to get their attention now.
You wouldn't say "Excuse me?"
Instead, you would raise your hand like this,
And you say "Em ơi"
EM ƠI !!!
Yeah, it's a sweet way for Vietnamese people to say,
Ah, "Excuse me, dear"
Or "Excuse me, sweetheart."
And the word "Ơi"
It's very endearing in Vietnamese.
So I noticed after eating,
American people usually uses dental floss to clean their teeth.
But Vietnamese people, we would use toothpick.
And what Vietnamese people usually do
Is that they would have the toothpick,
And they just cover their mouth,
Like clean it, you know.
They wouldn't do it like this.
They would like cover their mouth,
And then just clean their teeth with the toothpick.
So, I found it pretty interesting culture that we have.
If you want to cash out,
You don't just sit there.
And wait for the waiter to bring you a bill.
You would actually come up to the counter.
And then ask how much,
And then we can pay up there.
This can apply to
Vietnamese restaurants in The U.S
And Vietnamese restaurants in Viet Nam as well.
Or if you want to pay at your table,
And you want to grab the waiter's attention.
You would say,
"Em ơi, tính tiền!"
"TÍNH TIỀN !!!"
So that means "Hey, can you bring me the bill?"
This is part I found the most interesting.
Asian, especially Vietnamese people fight to pay.
This is the real deal.
It's about the saving face culture.
It's like showing your ego, showing your pride.
You want to show that you're generous, considerate.
You can provide.
For example, if you introduce your boyfriend to
Especially boyfriend though.
Ah, it doesn't apply to girl when you come to paying.
So for example, if you want to introduce your boyfriend
To your Asian family.
Ah, the boyfriend supposed to fight with the father.
To pay for the whole family.
Because it will show that
He has the ability to take care of their daughter.
And he can be a provider.
Businesses is like an inside track to favors.
So for example, if I want to ask a person for a favor.
I would invite that person out.
And pay for his/her dinner or lunch.
So next time, when I need help from that person.
It will be more likely for that person to help me.
I pay for your dinner, you'll help me back next time.
I was quite surprised when people served fortune cookies
At Chinese and Vietnamese restaurants in The U.S
But fortune cookies don't exist in China and Viet Nam.
Actually, fortune cookies were originated
From Japan and they were produced in California.
So next time, when you come to Asia,
Especially China and Viet Nam,
Don't expect fortune cookies.
Because we just don't have them.
Last but not least, you don't need to tip in Viet Nam.
Because we don't have tipping culture.
But if you really appreciate your waiter or waitress,
You can definitely give them the tip.
Don't leave the tip on the table though.
Because it's not very common in Viet Nam.
And somebody might steal it.
And don't give the tip to the owner as well.
Just give it directly to the person who just served you.
Though are the differences between
Vietnamese restaurants in The U.S and Vietnamese restaurants in Viet Nam.
So I hope you have learned something new today.
And next time, when you visit Viet Nam,
You can be like a Pro, you know.
So I hope you enjoy this video.
If you have any questions,
Don't hesitate to put it down to the comment below.
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Alright, I hope to see you guys in the next video.
BYEEE <3