Do you know the first rule of Asian buffet?

If you've seen any Run the Burbs in your social feeds this month, it was probably the clip featuring the Pham family doing a dry run, military style, in preparation for a family excursion to an all-you-can-eat Asian buffet.

Viewed, as of mid-January, more than 6 million times, the scene has struck a chord across the socials.

Here is a sample of some comments on this post:

• Have I done this? Yes. Have I seen someone —possibly a family member — also bring a Tupperware in their purse? Maybe. That is not an admission of guilt.
• The unwritten rule: at least a day's notice that we're going so we arrive starving and ready to eat.
• The meal doesn't end when you're full. The meal ends when you want to die.

Andrew Phung and his Burbs writing team had a hunch that the scene would be relatable — all-you-can-eat buffets are, after all, a Canadian rite of passage! Phung was also keen that co-showrunner Jennica Harper include a regional shout-out to a ginger beef, a buffet staple that originated in his hometown. "I wanted to pay tribute to my Calgary roots!"

Growing up in Calgary, remembers Phung, there was Foody Goody (RIP) and the still-standing Treasures of China (now aptly renamed Asian Buffet). 

If you're dining with his family, note that the Phungs take their buffet almost as seriously as the fictional Pham family. At any moment, his mother might shout, "Phay! (Andrew's family nickname) Go!" and he knows they have restocked the crab legs, and his job as son is to bring them back to the table.

The first time his wife met his parents, it was at Asian Buffet. She was not prepared. "She came back with a plate of, like, legit all carbs. It was, like, some Shanghai noodles, chow mein noodles, rice, maybe like two dumplings." Phung's mom whispered to him urgently in Vietnamese, asking what his girlfriend was doing: "I can make noodles at home." 

"And so, from that day forward, my wife never made that mistake again. She gets the protein first, and then maybe like a little bit of carbs… later."

So how does Andrew Phung rank the top proteins at an Asian buffet? Here's what he told us: 1. Peking duck. On a crepe. (American commenters said it's not a buffet dish. It is in Canada, baby.) 2. Crab legs (although they are a lot of work, they are high value protein). 3. Beef with broccoli and or mushrooms (I'm an Alberta kid, so I love my beef). 4. Shrimp (although it triggers my gout). 5. Chicken. 6. BBQ pork (but I will say, man, I love barbecue pork, like when you get it done up right).

But, like Andrew's character in Run the Burbs, Phung is "a survivor of gout." The painful condition can afflict people with meat-heavy diets, and he first developed gout while shooting the fourth season of Kim's Convenience. In one episode, they even had to build in a limp for his character Kimchee while he recovered. It's mostly under control, but a meat-loving guy who's had gout has to take measures before he tackles his next AYCE buffet extravaganza. "Whenever I plan to  go to the buffet, I'm always hyperconscious the week before, and I eat very little meat to prepare for it."

It's a bit of work, but it's worth it. He gets why that buffet scene resonated with so many people. "I think like it's such a cultural spot of celebrations. They're big and easy to get into. There's lots of tables, lots of chairs, so they accommodate large groups," says Phung. "Food is at the core of so many cultures — they go hand in hand. And then when you go out to a big family meal, look, you're not on a diet, you're not eating clean. You go all out."