"Dan Logcher" > wrote in message
...
> You shouldn't just do anything "as long as you enjoy yourself".
> Etiquette is dying because of this attitude, and it's a shame.
> Rude and boorish behavior is becoming the norm.
>
> In this particular example, I do not see anything wrong. But again,
> I am not an expert in etiquette, Vietnamese or otherwise.
>
.. We ate them
> >>all using our fingers regardless. Was this correct? The restaurant was
> >>full of Vietnamese who didn't appear to be surprised, but maybe they
> >>were just polite or used to farangs' uncouth behaviour...
> >>
> >>Victor
> >>

I'm no expert on Vietnamese food since the commonest thing I eat is Pho.
Everyone seems to use chopsticks for that but, of course, the soup is
finished off with a spoon. The best Vietnamese restaurant that I know is
French influenced and does provide chopsticks but I wonder if that is a
response to what people expect? Certainly, on a slightly different topic, I
have been told by Thais that the normal utensils in Thailand are a spoon and
a fork but many people ask for chopsticks in restaurants around here.

As we all know, there is an infinite variety of Asian food and fingers *are*
used. Some forms of sushi are impossible to eat with chopsticks being much
too big for one bite and I certainly can't cut them with chopsticks tho'
I've seen a Chinese person do just that!


--
James V. Silverton
Potomac, Maryland, USA