(a) serving procedures and rules
There are many local cuisines in China, and there are also many kinds of banquets, such as swallow-wing banquet, sea cucumber banquet, whole duck banquet, whole sheep banquet, vegetarian banquet and Manchu-Han banquet. Different banquet tables and different local cuisines will lead to different dishes design and layout, and the serving procedures cannot be exactly the same. For example, the main course of the whole duck mat is Beijing roast duck, but it cannot be used as the first course. Instead, serve some special dishes cooked with duck viscera and other parts first, and then roast duck. People call it "however, before she came to us, we had called it a thousand times and urged it a thousand times." Another example is the time to serve snacks, which varies from place to place. Some are interspersed in the banquet, and some are attended at the end of the banquet. Some salty desserts are served together and some are served separately. Depending on the type, characteristics and needs of the banquet, it varies from person to person, from time to time and from thing to thing, but it must be carried out according to the relatively fixed serving procedure of the banquet in China.
1, serving procedure: the general Chinese banquet serving procedure is: the first course is cold dish or cold dish, (after about 8 minutes) the second course is appetizing soup, (after dividing the soup, change dishes and bowls, etc. ) The third course is the first course (usually the representative course of a banquet), the fourth course is the main course (a famous noble dish), and the fifth course is the general hot dish (a handful, a handful). Generally, there can be no more than six courses on the table, unless the guest requests to leave the dishes on the table, but the dishes cannot be placed on the base. Put a dish in the middle of the countertop-except the dish and the turntable, put two dishes on the opposite side, three dishes are triangular, four dishes are square, five dishes are pentagram, and so on. ), the sixth course is soup (formal soup, or two soups, such as two soups, four soups or six soups at a wedding reception), the seventh course is beet (with snacks), and finally the main course is followed by fruit.
Chinese banquets will be divided into old-school dishes and new-school dishes in a slightly different order.
(1) Serving order of the old banquet: fruit is served on the first course (removed when the second course is served); The second cold dish; The third way is hot cooking; The fourth course is the first course; The second largest dish on the fifth road; The sixth course is salty soup and salty snacks; The seventh course is fish; Beets in the eighth lane; The ninth course serves sweet soup and dessert; The tenth course (stew); The eleventh course is to use a small dish; Finally, the food is served, and then the fruit is served.
(2) The order of serving the new banquet: cold dishes are served on the first course; The second course is on the table; Grilled dishes on the third course; The fourth dish is fried; Beets on the fifth road; The sixth course serves sweet soup and dessert; The seventh course is fish; Vegetarian dishes of the eighth course; The ninth course (stew) is followed by a point; A small dish on the tenth course; The eleventh course is fruit.
2, serving rules: the basic rules of serving Chinese food banquets are: first cold and then hot, first dish and then order, first salty and then sweet, first fried and then burned, first meat and then vegetarian; Dry before soup, dish before soup; First light, then thick, first high quality, then general, follow the general customs and habits. If the guests have special requirements for serving, they should be flexible. China Cantonese cuisine is served in a different order from other cuisines, that is, soup is served first and then served.
Generally speaking, the name of the dish is announced when serving, and it is announced after taking a step back from the table; Answer the questions raised by the guests. Between different kinds of dishes in the world, it is necessary to replace tableware such as bone plates and soup bowls, ingredient plates, small towels (if there are no disposable small towels), washing cups, toothpicks and other items.
3. The way of serving. There are three main ways to serve food: one is to bring a large dish to the table, and the guests pick it up by themselves or sandwich each other (large dish); The other is that the waiter carries the dishes one by one and distributes them to the guest's dish plate (the big plate is divided into dishes); There is also a kind of serving at the host-guest table, which is held in a bowl or a small bowl and served at each guest's table (called eating alone). How to serve food at a banquet can be decided according to the specifications of the banquet, the number of attendees and the requirements of the organizer. Different dishes have different requirements, depending on the specific requirements.
(2) The timing and speed of serving.
1. Serving time: in order to ensure the quality of dishes (temperature, color, etc. ) and make the guests eat delicious and satisfied, and the waiter should be able to properly grasp the timing and speed of serving. If the food is slow, it will be too cold. If the food is served too fast, it will make the guests eat badly. To be just right, we must know the timing of serving different catering methods.
Ordering cold dishes should be served within 10 minutes after the guests order, and serving hot dishes should be served within 20 minutes or 15 minutes. When there are few guests, it usually takes about 30-45 minutes to finish all the dishes, or you can master them flexibly according to the requirements of the guests.
The banquet requires cold dishes to be served five minutes before the banquet. After the guests sit down and open the table, the first hot dish is served when the cold dish is about 1/2 or 1/3. General guests should pay attention to the dining situation and control the pace of serving. If you are married, all the hot dishes should be served quickly within 30-45 minutes. At the same time, it depends on whether there is a speech or a toast. If there is a speech, when will it be given (the general habit in our country is to sit down and speak) and how many guests and hosts will give it? Do you have a speech? How long will it take? You can get a clear understanding of this situation from the organizer's staff before the banquet begins. If you are not sure before the banquet, please ask the organizer's staff directly to the guest of honor and the host, and tell them after the banquet begins. Some banquets are unable to determine the situation of the speech for various reasons, which requires the service personnel to pay attention to observation and master flexibly. Sometimes before the banquet, you will be told not to make a formal speech during the banquet, but to make an impromptu speech in the middle of the banquet. At this time, if the dishes in the kitchen are officially ready, you should immediately notify the master to suspend production; If the dishes are ready, temporary measures should be taken to keep warm.
Secondly, we should communicate with the kitchen in time, and inform the kitchen of the speech at the banquet and the speed of eating during the dinner, so as to master the cooking skills. Service personnel should be familiar with the cooking requirements of various dishes and the approximate time required for cooking, so as to be aware of them and serve them in time. If the guests haven't eaten or eat slowly, they should inform the kitchen to postpone the next dish. If guests eat quickly, they should inform the kitchen to serve quickly. For banquets with more than two tables, the serving should be unified, and it is not allowed to go its own way. For small banquets, serving should be based on the actions of the guests. For large banquets, indicator lights can be installed in the lobby, and yellow light signals can be used instead of dishes to prepare serving, green light signals start serving, and red light signals stop serving.
2. Serving speed: If there are no special circumstances, the serving speed depends on the dining situation of the guests. The serving speed should not be too fast or too slow. If it is too fast, the waiter has no time to distribute it and the guests have no time to taste it. If it is too slow, the food on the table is not rich, or the guests are empty. So we should grasp the speed of serving. Generally speaking, the banquet service should be controlled at 10~ 15 minutes, and a dish or snack should be served.
(3) Serving position
1, the restaurant waiter should choose a suitable position when serving food for the guests. The service of ordering food is more flexible, and the waiter should pay attention to choosing a spacious position to serve so as not to disturb the guests. Please don't serve food beside the elderly, children and ladies.
Chinese banquets are generally between the escort and the second guest, or to the right of the second host (which is beneficial for the second host to introduce the dishes to the guests), and always maintain a position. Pay attention to the overall atmosphere of the banquet and the serving position between different tables.
2, vegetables, soups, etc. Generally, it should be on the right side of the guest, and a dish can only be divided into one guest; Guests first, guests first, ordinary guests first, ladies first, men first, or according to the instructions of the guests, clockwise in turn.