[Video] Americans Fail at Eating Vietnamese Food, Love It Anyway

Words by

June 23, 2016

There are a handful of universal truths in life. For instance:

Rain will always fall on the day you've forgotten your raincoat.
You can never have just one shot of rice wine. Ever.
Vietnamese food is delicious.

The folks over at Buzzfeed recently put number three on that list to the test by filming Americans as they ate popular Vietnamese street foods like bánh xèo, cơm tấm and nem nướng cuốn. Once again, the deliciousness of Vietnamese cuisine was affirmed.

Unlike Americans trying hột vịt lộn, the response toward these street food dishes was overwhelmingly positive. But while the diners heaped praise upon fish sauce, perhaps one of the world's greatest condiments, and the dishes in general – “I want to eat Vietnamese street food for the rest of my life,” gushes one participant – those behind the camera committed a cardinal sin.

During the bánh xèo portion of the video, diners were served savory pancakes all on their own. No lettuce. No herbs. No rice paper. Nothing. Just a small, naked bánh xèo on a plate. If there had been a middle-aged Saigonese woman in that studio, someone would have died.

In case you, too, need reaffirmation of Vietnamese food's universal appeal, have a look at the video below: