Eating Western

It’s Friday night in Danang, Vietnam and it’s time for dinner. The dining options for our group are Vietnamese or Western. Three of my Lao colleagues and I decide to choose the western option. We are joined by an MCC colleague from Cambodia, along with about 12 other MCC’ers from America.

Having rarely, if ever ordered, western food at a restaurant, my Lao colleagues leave it up to me to order the food. Each of us begins by ordering a special drink. The mint hot chocolate scores high points; however, the pineapple juice from a can, is a disappointment. The raspberry soda and the strawberry & lemon juice receive few comments.

What dishes might be appreciated by the 4 diners new to western food? I review the menu and consult the American director of the non-profit restaurant established as a training centre for the deaf. She provides her recommendations based on the eating preferences of other Asians to the restaurant and then I select the following dishes for us to share and sample: Sloppy Joe, Baked Beans with pork, Chef’s Salad, French Fries, and Pasta with Alfredo sauce.

For some the food is a little bland, but the food disappears and they assure me they will try eating western food again.

And of course, a western meal is not complete without dessert and so I select a piece of Coffee Cake and Marble Cake for us to carry back with us to the hotel. Both kinds are enjoyed.

None of my colleagues may ever travel to North America, but for a couple of hours, they experienced a whole new world, as they encountered new flavours and ways of preparing food.