The China Cuisine Association believes that the main forms of meal sharing system has three kinds: chef meal sharing, chef in the kitchen will be made according to each guest a distribution of finished dishes, by the waiter to each diner to eat; waiter meal sharing, restaurant service personnel in the meal sharing table or countertop will be distributed to each diner finished dishes to eat; diner to share their own meals, diners through the use of chopsticks, spoons and other communal cutlery to share! The diner shares his or her own meal, in which the diner shares the finished dish by using common utensils such as chopsticks and spoons, and then eats with his or her own utensils. Both buffets and set menus belong to the split-meal system.
The China Hotel Association is of the view that the meal sharing system includes four forms of waiters at the table to share the meal, sharing the meal before serving, buffet, public chopsticks and public spoons and 1 person, 1 portion of the meal and so on.
Participants in the China General Chamber of Commerce "meal seminar," the participants believe that the meal, including buffets, fast food, boxed lunches, cafeteria meals, etc., as opposed to banquets, dinners, meals at home and other forms of "meal". From the operator's point of view, meal portioning is a kind of service mode, is a kind of paid service provided by the operator, according to the requirements of consumers. According to the dishes, the different requirements of consumers can be chefs in the kitchen points, waiters in the mixing table points or waiters at the table points; and provide public chopsticks and public spoons for the diners, it is the consumer and the operator to interact with the way of dining.