Western tableware placement and use
Breakdown, cups, plates, napkins, etc., are considered tableware. When we say Western tableware, we are referring specifically to knives, forks and spoons.
The usual way of arranging western tableware is like this: a soup plate is placed in the center opposite to the soup plate, and a spoon is placed on top of the soup plate, with the heart of the spoon facing upwards. Above the spoon are various wine glasses and water glasses. On the left and right sides of the plate are forks and knives, placed parallel to each other. The bread and butter plate with the butter knife is on the upper left, parallel to the wine glasses. The napkin is placed in the plate or folded and inserted in the water glass. If the meal includes pasta, a special fork and spoon are placed horizontally underneath the plate. At a formal Western banquet, each course is accompanied by a corresponding set of tableware and is arranged in the order in which they are served: appetizers, soups, seafood, meats, beverages, breads, and desserts, from the outside in. Experienced people can tell the approximate color of the dish from the placement of the tableware.
Small peak is a budding writer, a publisher's senior editor is interested in promoting him, in a pen meeting gap, the editor asked small peak to go to a western restaurant for lunch. Xiao Feng is the first time to eat Western food, only to see the table is full of knives and forks, but did not think of what there is to learn. During the meal, Xiao Feng followed the editor's example and held the knife and fork in his hand in a decent manner. In his left hand was a fork for eating meat, and in his right hand was a knife for buttering. And the dish in front of him was a smoked fish. The senior editor thought to himself, "It's the first time I've eaten it, can't you ask me if you don't know how to use it? Can't you see how I use it? What a lack of upbringing, not good at learning and thinking, forget it, he won't amount to much." After eating, Xiao Feng was still envisioning his bright future, but the senior editor was already thinking about looking for another cultivator.
When eating Western food, cutlery should not be used indiscriminately, but in sequence from the outside in. Eat the first dish, to use the soup plate on both sides of the outermost set of knife and fork, eat the second dish, in turn, take the right and left sides of the outer end of the knife and fork, and so on. During the meal, you should always use the fork in your left hand and the knife in your right hand. (Interestingly, the American way of doing this is to divide the food on your plate between your left fork and right knife, place the knife diagonally in front of the plate, and then eat with the fork in your right hand. This is not considered rude.)
In more formal Western cuisine, at least two spoons are used. The spoon placed vertically on the right side of the plate alongside the knife is for soup and is slightly larger; the spoon placed horizontally directly above the knife and fork for dessert is for dessert and is slightly smaller. When dessert is not served, it is replaced by a teaspoon. The small spoon for coffee or tea is used only for stirring, not for scooping. When drinking coffee or tea, the small spoon should not be left in the cup, but on the tray.
Like the chopsticks used in Chinese food, Western tableware should not be placed in a casual manner during a meal. After each dish is finished, or you no longer want to eat, you can put your knife and fork side by side and parallel in the plate, or left knife and right fork parallel vertical in the dinner plate. When the waiter sees this, he or she will realize that the plate is ready to be removed.
Conformity, eat out the true meaning of Western food
Western food is often not focused on "eating", but on the environment and mood. Pay attention to the exquisite menu, atmosphere, music, elegant manners. Therefore, eating Western food must pay extra attention to words and behavior.
Into the Western restaurant to eat, must be dressed neatly, can not wear casual clothing, to the Westerners' family dinner should also be so. When you are seated, you should have a dignified demeanor and not be in a hurry. If you are traveling with a man or a woman, the man should take the initiative to help the woman pull out the seat. If you are carrying a purse, documents and other miscellaneous items, put them under the table or on your lap.
It's only polite to keep your hands clean at the Western table. During the meal, do not stir in any food, take a moderate amount of food at a time, and let only one-third of the spoon enter your mouth when you bring the food into your mouth. When drinking soup, ladle from the inside out in your own direction; each time you take food, eat the food in the spoon all at once. Don't put used spoons back where you found them. During meals, don't let the spoon get covered with the remnants of soup and dessert, and don't spill it on the table, drop it on the floor, or stick it to your hands and face.
When Yanyan went on her first date, her male classmates invited her to eat western food. Yan Yan didn't know how to use the cutlery, so she watched carefully and without moving to see how the boy friend and the other guests used it. Fortunately, nothing went wrong. Gradually, Yan Yan felt that she didn't have to worry about how to use the cutlery and how to eat the food, and she talked more and more. When she was happy, her voice rose and she waved her knife and fork around. The male student's expression was a little embarrassed, and the waiters and other customers not far away also noticed Yan Yan's voice and movements, with some of them laughing in secret. The male student said softly, "Put the knife and fork down." Only then did Yan Yan notice her outburst. She spat out her tongue in apology. But not a moment later, Yan Yan began to amplify her voice again, her laughter piercingly echoing through the restaurant as the other guests once again cast disgruntled glances at her. The male student was disappointed, and had been eager to pursue Yan Yan, but now, he dismissed his thoughts.
It is important to keep quiet. When eating western food, don't talk loudly and don't wave the cutlery in your hand when you talk. When eating western food, use the knife and fork in the process, try not to make the sound of knife and fork collision, not to mention the ding ding ding ding ding ding ding ding ding ding ding ding ding ding ding ding ding ding ding ding ding ding ding ding ding ding on the plate. Don't make chewing noises while eating. In addition, try to avoid making noise by pulling the seat.