Vietnamese declined at restaurant. Mon, Nov 20, 2006.

11/20/2006. 754. I invited my young friend, who was baptized Saturday night, to lunch at a local Vietnamese restaurant. Eating here was mainly because a) I haven't tried this restaurant before, b) it has a good reputation, c) part of my book-placement project, d) Vietnamese noodle soup is similar to the dish my friend served me once when I ate at his home, e) to let my friend experience sharing the Book of Mormon, and f) just spend some time with him.

He's not from Vietnam, but today I learned that he loves Vietnamese cuisine, has some Vietnamese friends with whom he has lost touch since moving here, and used to frequently eat at Vietnamese restaurants when he lived in another state. He knew exactly what to order, how to operate the chopsticks, added the bottled sauces from the table, and attacked his meal with gusto.

After ordering, but before the food arrived, I put a Vietnamese and English Book of Mormon on the table. The hostess/waitress noticed them when she brought our water, but didn't react or say anything. When the waiter/bus-boy brought our food, I offered them to him, but he decined by saying he was Catholic. He didn't verbalize a "no," but his tone of voice and body English when saying he was Catholic was a strong "no thanks," and indicated he already had pre-conceived notions about the Book of Mormon or the church.

The "book in my language" factor definitely did not come into play as it usually does with speakers of other languages.

When the waitress brought me a refill on water, I offered them to her, and her response was a tight-lipped head-shake no, which also caused me to think she had pre-conceived notions too.

Oh well, it was worth a visit. The food was great. And my friend didn't know this restaurant existed, so he was happy too.