Bún Cá Cô Ba

The fullest bowl on the board: rice vermicelli in a clear fish broth with grilled fish cake and cool strips of jellyfish.

The special bowl — the top of the size ladder here, above the small, the regular and the medium.

Bún cá number 1 on the board: rice vermicelli in a clear fish broth — Nha Trang's everyday breakfast.

Bún cá number 2 on the board — the same clear fish broth, the next step up from số 1.

Bún cá number 3 on the board, in the same clear fish broth.

The regular bowl — the standard serving of the house bún cá.

Written out on the board in two languages: fish noodles with grilled chopped fish cake and jellyfish, in the special serving.

An extra portion of toppings to add to your bowl.

Fish noodles with grilled chopped fish cake — the pairing spelled out on the board in two languages.

Bánh canh in its special serving: thick, slippery tapioca noodles in a hot broth — the fullest bowl of this line.

Bánh canh number 5 on the board: thick, chewy noodles in a hot broth.

Bánh canh number 6 on the board — the same hot broth, a step up from số 5.

Bánh canh number 7 on the board, in the same hot broth.

A portion of jellyfish on its own — cool, crisp strips, the topping Nha Trang puts in a bún cá.

The small bowl — the lighter serving, for a quick breakfast.

Xí quách: the meaty bones lifted out of the broth pot, brought in a clay thố to pick at and suck the marrow.

The stone bowl: a heavy vessel that holds its heat, so the broth is still steaming at the last spoonful.

A light egg-drop soup made with a free-range hen's egg — the smallest, cheapest thing on the board.

Rice congee with xíu mại — soft pork meatballs in tomato sauce — spooned in.

Fish cooked in a skillet and brought to the table in it, still hot.

Beef in a skillet — serving 1 of the two on the board.

The larger of the two beef servings on the board.

A portion of fish braised in its sauce, eaten on its own or dropped into a bowl.

Chả cá, Nha Trang's own fish cake — pounded fish grilled until the edges crisp — ordered as a portion of its own.

Fish maw — the springy, chewy part locals ask for in their bowl.

Fish roe, a portion to drop into your bowl.

The medium bowl — between the regular and the special.

Pâté with your choice of xíu mại meatball, chicken or fish — sold by the portion.

The mixed loaf: the counter's whole set of fillings in one baguette, with pickled vegetables and herbs.

A baguette filled with fish — the coastal city's own take on bánh mì.

Shredded chicken in a crackling baguette, with pickled vegetables and herbs.

Soy milk or pennywort juice — your choice, one price.

Carrot or tomato juice, pressed to order.

A canned soft drink, or a Revive isotonic.

Plain soy milk, served cold.

Lemon tea, or the salted-lemon drink Vietnam reaches for in the heat.

Iced lemon tea, poured over a full glass of ice.

Iced milk with tamarind — sweet and sour in the same glass.

Bạc xỉu: more condensed milk than coffee, over ice — the gentle end of Vietnamese coffee.

Red Bull, or a chilled bird's-nest drink.

Black Vietnamese coffee made with nguyên chất beans — pure coffee, nothing cut in.

The same pure coffee, with condensed milk at the bottom of the glass.

Iced lemonade or salted lemon, whichever you ask for.

Lemon tea over ice, brewed from Co tea.

Lemon tea over ice, brewed from Cozy tea.

A bottled soft drink from the cooler.

A can of Red Bull.

Pennywort juice — bright green, grassy, drunk to cool the body down.

Iced tea — the glass that sits beside every Vietnamese meal.

A bottle of still water.