When I've learned about measure words 盘 (plate) and 碗 (bowl), I've started to wonder about an important aspect of their usage.
There are some dishes that can be served both as either 第一道菜 (first course dish, usually soups) or 主菜 (main course dish, usually mostly dry).
Let's take 面条 (noodles) as a valid example of the case. Noodles can be served as a soup (a good example of this is a dish named 拉条子 (laghman)), and in that case they are 第一道菜. Noodles can also be served as a main course dish (a good example is a famous 意粉 (pasta)).
Now, on to the question. Is there an agreement on a measure word to use for such words? My problem with basing on a context (using 盘 if they're served as a main course and 碗 if they're served as a first course) is the inability to choose the right measure word in case of uncertainty about the course of the dish. For example, if I don't know the form in which noodles will be served (it may be soup, it may be not), I don't know which measure word to pick for the general case.
My initial guess: 个 in case of uncertainty, 碗 when knowing it relates to the first course dish, 盘 when knowing it relates to the main course dish.
Please tell me whether I got the right idea or not. Thanks in advance!