James Silverton wrote:

> "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.


This is correct. From my experience, Thais do not use chopsticks, but
instead a fork and spoon.

If dining at a restaurant that serves more than just Thai, chance are
you will be given both fork and shopsticks with that spoon. For me,
when I Pho, I use chopsticks and spoon.

--
Dan