How to Prepare the Perfect Bowl of Vietnamese Soup

When I was a kid growing up here in Vancouver the only Asian restaurants around were Chinese. I very much enjoyed the food, even if I got a splitting headache from the MSG every time.

Then in my 20's I tried [Japanese] sushi and really liked it. Later I ventured into Korean and Vietnamese food and liked it as well. More recently I gained a real hankering for Thai food.

Tonight, after delivering a computer on behalf of BCDD I decided to check out a Vietnamese restaurant near the PNE. I tried their rare beef & noodle soup and thought I'd give novices a little primer in how to prepare the soup.

It comes much like this, though not always with the cilantro added:

They also provide you with a generous sampling of basil and bean sprouts, a slice of lemon, and a few jalapeno peppers:

Add these to your soup as you see fit, let sit for a few seconds and then dive into an immense culinary pleasure: