The etiquette on the Western table has been formed by people for a long time. Some old rules, such as not resting your elbows on the table at all times during meals, are no longer observed by everyone; however, there are many "clear rules" that are still followed by people. We can list some taboos that cannot be violated: the order of serving ordinary Western food is usually bread, soup, various dishes, pudding, coffee or black tea. According to formal rules, when entering a table, guests should take their seats from the left side of the chair. When leaving the table, they should also exit from the left side of the chair. After taking a seat, the host should first spread out the napkin before placing it on the table. The napkin was spread on his lap. The same is true when putting it away. You must put the owner first, otherwise it will be rude. When laying out napkins, in formal occasions, the napkins are folded into two layers and placed on the thighs. They cannot be completely spread out, let alone tucked into waist clothes. But for ordinary meals, there is no need to be so rigid. If you want to spread them out completely, It doesn’t hurt either. Sometimes you have to leave the table temporarily for some reason. Do not put the napkin on the table, because it means that you will not eat anymore and the waiter will not serve you anymore. Therefore, you must put the napkin on the chair when you leave. That's right. After the meal, the napkins should be roughly folded, or they may not be folded and placed on the dining table, but should be thrown away. If you find something dirty in your water glass or dish, don't shout loudly to attract the attention of people at the same table. Instead, quietly tell the waiter and ask him to take it away and bring another one. The same goes for changing dishes and cutlery. When drinking a drink, wipe your lips with a napkin first, and then drink the drink in the cup to avoid getting vegetable crumbs on your face or throwing them into the glass. If you have a paper napkin, it is best not to use it to wipe your mouth, and do not push used plates aside or stack them. It is best not to move any of the plate positions. Leave crumbs alone on the tablecloth. If you accidentally leave some food behind, you can use a napkin to carefully pick it up on the plate when the waiter removes the plate.
To taste Western food culture, we recommend that you have time to visit the Maxim Restaurant in Chongwenmen. The Western restaurant there is decorated in the unique French romantic style of the late 19th century, with gorgeous and elegant decoration and a small band in the orchestra pit. Classical music was played, and the waiter was a young man in a tuxedo. This is the tradition of Maxim's restaurant, which allows customers to feast their eyes first (restaurant decoration), then their ears (soft music), and finally their mouth (delicious French dishes). Scholars who study Western food, after long-term discussions and conclusions, believe that eating Western food is most important to pay attention to the six "M".
The first one is "Menu"
When you walk into a Western restaurant, the waiter will take you to your seat first. After you sit down, the first thing he brings is the menu. The menu is regarded as the face of the restaurant, and the boss always pays attention to it, using the best fabrics as the cover of the menu, and some even use soft sheepskin with various beautiful patterns. It seems inappropriate to call it menu here. It should be called "recipe".
I have a secret trick on how to order good food. No matter when I eat in Western restaurants at home or abroad, the food I order is always delicious and cheap. I am often praised by my colleagues. My method is to open the For recipes, I often choose which dish is named after the restaurant. I know that the chef will not joke about the name of his restaurant, so the dishes they put in the effort will definitely be delicious. Please Everyone must order it.
When it comes to ordering food, looking at the menu can’t help but remind me of an incident that happened at Maxim’s Restaurant nearly 20 years ago. Four young farmers with “10,000-yuan households” walked into this luxurious restaurant. . They have money and want to taste famous French cuisine. The restaurant manager and waiters were overjoyed, warmly welcomed them to their seats, politely presented them with the menu, and respectfully asked them to order. Unexpectedly, one of them pushed the recipe aside and said disdainfully: "What dish should you order? Look at it, whatever is more expensive, we have plenty of money!" The four farmers spent nearly 2,000 yuan and ate deliciously. I had a meal of famous French dishes, but I made a fool of myself from time to time. I didn’t know how to use the knife and fork, and the napkin ended up being used as a handkerchief...
Later, the general manager of the French side talked about this matter with me, and he was very touched. : "From these four young people, it is exciting to see that Chinese farmers are indeed getting rich. But it is difficult for us to understand that Chinese friends eat Western food without looking at the menu. In France, even Charles de Gaulle and President d'Estaing have to eat Western food. Looking at the menu and ordering. There is no question of whether you have money or not, because looking at the menu and ordering has become an essential part of eating Western food. ”
Second. The first is "Music"
Luxurious and high-end Western restaurants should have a band playing some soft music, and ordinary small Western restaurants also play some beautiful music. However, the most important thing here is the "audibility" of the music, that is, the sound must reach a level that "seems to be heard but cannot be heard." That is to say, if you want to concentrate on talking to friends, you will not hear it, and if you want to rest and relax, It can be heard immediately, and the heat must be controlled well.
The third is "Mood" (atmosphere)
Western food pays attention to the elegant environment and harmonious atmosphere. There must be music, white tablecloths, flowers, and all tableware must be clean. For dinner, the lights should be dimmed and there should be red candles on the table to create a romantic, charming and elegant atmosphere.
The fourth is "Meeting"
That is to say, you have to be selective about who you want to eat Western food with. It must be friends, relatives, and people with similar interests.
Eating Western food is mainly for bonding relationships, and we rarely discuss business at the Western table. Therefore, there are rarely red-faced scenes in Western restaurants.
The fifth is "Manner" (etiquette)
It is also called "eating appearance" and "eating attitude". In short, we must follow Western customs and do not do anything offensive, especially when eating. If you dance with your hands while holding a knife and fork, you will "lose your composure". When using a knife and fork, you should hold the knife in your right hand and the fork in your left hand. Cut the food into small pieces and then put it into your mouth with the knife and fork. Generally speaking, Europeans do not change hands when using knives and forks, and always use their left hand to hold the fork and put food into their mouths. Americans put the knife down after cutting, and hold the fork in their right hand to put the food into their mouths. But at any time, the knife must not be put into the mouth. At a Western banquet, the host will arrange for men and women to sit next to each other. Western gentlemen who pay attention to "ladies first" will show their attentiveness to ladies.
The sixth one is "Meal"
An American gourmet friend of mine once said: "The Japanese eat with their eyes, and the form of cooking is very beautiful. Eat us Western food is eaten with the nose, so our noses are big; only you great Chinese people know how to eat with the tongue. "Our Chinese food is based on "taste", while Western food is based on nutrition. As for taste, it cannot be compared with Chinese food. of.
To a large extent, eating Western food is about eating with atmosphere: marble fireplaces, sparkling crystal lamps, silver candlesticks, colorful wines, plus people’s elegant and charming manners, this in itself is A moving oil painting. In order to behave more skillfully when you first taste Western food, it is worth spending some effort to familiarize yourself with these dining etiquette.
1. When sitting, your body should be upright, your elbows should not be placed on the table, and your feet should not be crossed. It is best to keep the distance from the table to facilitate the use of tableware. Do not mess around with the tableware that has been placed on the dining table. Fold the napkin in half and place it gently in your lap.
2. When using a knife and fork to eat, take the knife and fork from the outside to the inside. Hold the fork in your left hand and the knife in your right hand; when cutting things, hold the fork in your left hand to hold the food, and hold the knife in your right hand to saw it. Break into small pieces and serve with a fork. When using a knife, the blade must not point outward. When you put down your knives and forks during a meal, they should be placed in an "eight" shape and placed on the edge of the dinner plate. The blade of the knife is facing towards you, indicating that you will continue to eat. After each dish is finished, put the knife and fork together on the plate. If you are talking, you can hold the knife and fork without putting it down. When you are not using a knife, you can also hold a fork with your right hand. However, if you need to make a gesture, you should put down the knife and fork. Never wave the knife or fork in the air, nor hold a knife or fork in one hand and hold it in the other hand. Wipe your mouth with a napkin, and do not hold a wine glass in one hand and a fork in the other hand to pick up food. Remember, never put one end of the knife and fork on the plate and the other end on the table.
3. Don’t put too much food into your mouth each time. Don’t talk while chewing, let alone take the initiative to talk to others.
4. Don’t sip when drinking soup, and chew with your mouth closed when eating. Don't smack your lips and make any noise. If the soup is too hot, wait until it cools down slightly before eating. Do not blow it with your mouth. When drinking soup, use a spoon to scoop it from the inside out. When the soup in the soup plate is almost finished, use your left hand to slightly tilt the outside of the soup plate and scoop it out with a spoon. When you finish eating the soup, leave the spoon in the soup plate (bowl) with the spoon handle pointing toward you.
5. When eating fish, meat and other dishes with thorns or bones, do not spit them out directly. You can cover your mouth with a napkin and spit them gently on the fork and put them on the plate. If there is a small amount of food left on the plate, do not use a fork to scrape the bottom of the plate, and do not use your fingers to help eat. Instead, eat with a small piece of bread or a fork. When eating noodles, roll them up with a fork and then put them in your mouth.
6. The bread should be broken into small pieces and put into the mouth. Do not bite the whole piece of bread. When spreading butter and jam, break the bread into small pieces before spreading.
7. When eating chicken, Europeans and Americans mostly value chicken breast meat. When eating chicken legs, you should remove the bones first and do not eat them with your hands. When eating fish, do not turn the fish over. After eating the upper layer, use a knife and fork to remove the fish bones before eating the lower layer. When eating meat, cut it into pieces and eat them one by one. Do not cut the pieces too large or cut the meat into pieces at once. piece.
8. Do not put on makeup at the dining table and use a napkin to wipe your nose. Burping during meals is the biggest no-no. If this happens, you should immediately apologize to those around you. Do not stand up when eating, and ask others to pass food that cannot be reached while sitting.
9. Don’t gorge yourself when eating. You should also put a little of the food you don't want to eat on your plate as a courtesy. The host advises the guests to add more food. If they have an appetite, it is not considered rude to add more food. On the contrary, the host may be proud of it.
10. You are not allowed to leave the table in the middle of the meal. If you really need to leave for something, you should whisper hello to the guests on the left and right. When drinking and toasting, even if you don't drink, you should touch the rim of the cup to your lips to show respect. When someone offers you a drink, if you don't want it, you can simply say "No, thank you!" or cover the glass with your hand to express your refusal.
11. Smoking is not allowed until the meal is finished, and it is not allowed until the coffee is served to indicate the end of the meal. If there are female guests on the left or right, you should politely ask, "Do you mind?"
12. When dining, you should talk to the guests on the left and right, but avoid talking and laughing loudly. Don't just talk to a few acquaintances. If you don't know the guests, you can introduce yourself. Don't interrupt others when they are talking.
13. If you are willing to add milk or sugar when drinking coffee, stir it evenly with a small spoon after adding it, and place the small spoon on the coffee plate.
When drinking, you should hold the cup handle with your right hand, hold the saucer with your left hand, and drink directly with your mouth. Do not use a small spoon to scoop it up one by one. When eating fruit, do not bite the whole fruit. You should first cut it into 4 or 6 pieces with a fruit knife, then remove the skin and core with a knife, and eat with a fork.
14. When eating, do not unbutton or take off your clothes in public. If the host asks the guest to undress, the male guest can take off his coat and place it on the back of the chair. Do not put the coat or belongings on the dining table.