A question.
I spent about about thirty months in RVN.
Only passing through the cities, never visited an actual restaurant, roadside sales of pomelo or melon, yes a treat.
But I have eaten with the Vietnamese (I could comfortably sit on my haunches as was the custom) and I can not recall ever eating or seeing anyone eat a large piece of meat?
Meat, not seafood, was cut in small pieces about the size of a pencil eraser and mixed with rice/vegetables/noodles.
Yes, move a few miles down the road and things change, even the language.
I saw on your page the connection to VietNam and recalled the small bits of meat, thought no way?
Full disclosure. I was trained in the Navy as a Vietnamese linguist (North) and served in the theater for 18 months in the 1960’s. I was based in the Philippines (best country in the world for my money) and spent most of my time at Danang, on flight duty usually 8 hours per day.
In the ‘90’s, I went back to Vietnam and lived in Saigon for a couple of years. I had a girlfriend and we would go out frequently, mostly to downtown Saigon. I never noticed the small pieces of meat you mention, but it probably has to do with chopsticks somehow or perhaps rationing the available meat btwn bites as the amount of meat used to be small compared to the vegetables in the meal. The latter is probably the reason. Now VN people, young adults, are much taller cause they get lots more protein than their parents did.
I still go back to VN although not so often as before; besides I like Thailand better.
My best to you. Glad you made it back safely.