It is a figure-eight shape in Western food. If you take a short break during the meal, you can separate the knife and fork on the plate. The knife head and the fork tip are opposite to each other to form a "one" shape or an "eight" shape. Pointing the fork towards you means you should continue eating. If you are talking, you can hold the knife and fork without putting it down. However, if you need to make gestures, you should put down the knife and fork. Never wave the knife and fork in the air. It should be noted that at no time should one end of the knife and fork be placed on the plate and the other end on the table. In addition to cutting food into your mouth, knives and forks also have another very important function. The arrangement of knives and forks conveys the message of "meal in progress" or "end of meal". The waiter uses this method to judge the dining situation of the guests, and whether to clear away the tableware and prepare for the next service, etc., so I hope Jirun can remember the correct way to place the tableware. Pay special attention to the fact that the blade side must face you.
There are two ways to place the fork at the end of the meal: after the meal, you can put the bottom of the fork upward, the blade side of the knife inward and close to the fork, and place it parallel to the dinner plate. The next placement methods are divided into British style and French style. No matter which method is used, the French style is the most commonly used. Try to put the handle into the dinner plate. This will prevent it from falling due to contact and will make it easier for the waiter to clean it up. When attending a wedding banquet, no matter how the tableware is placed in the "dining" position, all dishes should be put away as soon as the main guests finish eating. Therefore, during banquets, remember to focus on the main guests. At a banquet, a pair of knives and forks are used for each dish. The knives and forks placed in front of you are taken from the outside inward, because the order in which the knives and forks are placed is exactly the order in which each dish is served. The knives and forks are gone, and the serving of food is over. When talking or resting, the knife and fork should be placed flat on both sides of the plate in a figure-eight shape. On the contrary, if the knife and fork are placed side by side on the plate with the handles facing you, it means that the dish has been used, and the waiter will remove the plate. If it is an appetizer or dessert that can be eaten directly with a fork, there is no need to deliberately use a knife. At family dinners or casual gatherings with friends, softer dishes such as salads and omelette rice can be eaten with just a fork. But using knives and forks at formal banquets can give people a more elegant and neat feeling. In addition, in Europe and other places, you can often see people eating with a fork in their right hand and bread in their left hand. No matter how neat and elegant the meal is, dining like this can only be done at home or in a popular restaurant, and it will never work in a high-end restaurant.
Just put the unused knife on the table and the waiter will take it away automatically. Although placing the knife and fork together on the plate is a signal that the meal is over, there is no need to specifically place the clean knife on the soiled plate. Unused tableware can be left as is, but it would seem strange to insist on following formal rules. It is most correct to adapt to circumstances and deal with things according to the situation at that time. Even if you drop it, you won't be embarrassed, but if you bend down to pick it up, it will be embarrassing. So when something falls, it’s best to ask the waiter to pick it up for you. The waiter is always paying attention to the guest's situation, so he will bring new tableware quickly. If the waiter does not notice, you can slightly raise your hand towards the waiter and try not to attract other people's attention. The waiter's job is to make your guests' meal more enjoyable, so make requests of them whenever you can.