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My garden progress:
Your surmise that the spicing was “dumbed down” for Amercian tastes is most likely spot on but there may be more to it. I experienced some relatively lackluster food at a few Vietnamese restaurants in Manhattan and discovered, upon further investigation, that they were run by folks who were ethnic Chinese.
There is such a glut of Chinese restaurants in many cities that if people of Chinese wish to open a restaurant and have less competition that they woudl with their native cuisine – Vietnamese is often the right fit for the target demographic. Furthermore… I think the tendency to dumb down the spices and herbs to suit the perceived tastes of America diners is endemic in Chines restaurant in this country. It seems logical that it would carry over to some Vietnamese restaurants – and that’s a shame.