Pho: Worth the Hassle

Of course my order was wrong.

“Small number one without onions or cilantro”

I’ve been ordering the same item dozens of times over the past six years.  I don’t get creative with the menu. I find something that works and I stick with it. Small. Number one. No onions or cilantro.

So I sit at the table with a streaming bowl of Pho filled with cilantro and onions. This scene has played out so many times that it doesn’t faze me anymore. Flip a coin. Even odds that I’ll have to send it back.

My last three visits? Zero for three.

They never hassle me, but I know that incredulous look that says, “Who does this American think  he is eating Pho without onions or cilantro?” It’s like going to Fat Burger and ordering a salad.

And yet, I continue to return. Marketers like to say that consumers “vote with their wallets”. In that case, I’m encouraging poor service. But I return time and time again.

Because, when I finally get the bowl of Pho I ordered, it tastes and smells so dang good.

Well worth the extra wait.