A place held in everyday memory
My friend brought me to Phở Phương, a beef-noodle shop near the river. He had eaten there for three years as a student. After returning from the United States, he still remembered its location, even though he had not remembered its name.
We ordered thập cẩm, with different cuts of beef, and quẩy to soak in the broth. I was learning the meal through his familiarity with it: where to go, what to order, and how to eat what arrived.
A city can be remembered through its landmarks, but it can also be remembered through a route to a particular meal. This shop belonged to the latter kind of map. Its significance came from repetition—from having been part of ordinary days.
What interested me was that the place remained available to my friend after time away. A name had slipped from memory, but the way there had not. Returning to the shop connected his earlier student life with the visit we were making now.
胡志明一家没记住名字，却记住位置的粉店
在胡志明的第二天，朋友带我去吃她最常念起的一家早餐店。有趣的是，她已经不记得这家店叫什么名字了。
她只会跟家人说：“我们去河边那家牛肉粉。”后来才知道，她从学生时代开始，已经在这里吃了三年多。即使后来去美国生活，每次回到胡志明，只要时间允许，还是会来这里吃上一碗。这次我作为异国的友人，更是邀请我一尝美味。
我点的是一碗什么都有的牛肉粉（Thập Cẩm）。熟牛肉、牛筋、牛肉丸……一碗里几乎把牛身上不同部位都集合了起来。每一种口感都不同，却在一锅熬了很久的牛骨汤里达到一种平衡。
朋友告诉我，这家的经典吃法，是再点一份油条（Quẩy）。她告诉我，不是直接吃，而是掰成一小段或一半泡进牛肉汤里，等吸满汤汁再入口。这也是我第一次这样吃粉配油条。
油条慢慢吸饱汤汁，外面还留着一点酥脆，里面已经浸满了牛肉汤香。我第一次这样吃，最后连汤都喝得一滴不剩。
但真正让我记住这顿早餐的，不只是味道。学习人类学以后，我常觉得一家餐馆真正重要的，不一定是它的名字。有时候，人们记住的是一条街、一座桥、一条河，或者一个”每次都会来”的习惯。
犹如前文所说，多年过去，朋友已经忘了店名，却始终记得：“河边那家牛肉粉。” 对我来说，这比任何评分都更有说服力。或许，一个地方真正进入我们的生活，不是因为它成为景点，而是因为它成为日常。
📍Phở Phương｜胡志明市
English adaptation of my Chinese Xiaohongshu note. The Chinese original is preserved below; these are situated personal observations. Read the original on Xiaohongshu
Images and Chinese text retained from my Xiaohongshu note.