Anh and Chi
Every Friday is takeout day in my house—it’s our little way of rewarding ourselves for another week free of fighting, evictions, and anyone cutting their own bangs. The roommate group chat is flooded with Friday night dinner suggestions early in the week. Many factors are considered: selection, quality, price, distance from our house, and whether or not you have to speak to a human to order—because even being totally starved for human contact won’t make a millennial talk on the phone.
For Main Street Vietnamese Anh and Chi, though, we will. And we did. Or should I say, I did, after my roomies (who both ordered the easy-to-pronounce Om bowl) decided that it was only fair I take on the burden (I got the Bún Thịt Nướng Chả Giò Tôm). My meal—a noodle bowl with perfectly grilled chicken, crispy spring rolls, and tender prawns—was as delicious as it was embarrassing to order. Curse my mono-and-a-half-lingualism. It was a step up from our regular takeout picks, and definitely a do-over. Seems culturally responsible of me to order it at least once a month to improve my pronunciation. Plus, the Anh and Chi folks are a lot nicer than the Duolingo owl.—Alyssa Hirose, contributing editor
