To taste western food culture, I suggest you have time to visit Maxim's Restaurant in Chongwenmen. The western restaurant there was decorated according to the unique French romantic style at the end of 19, with gorgeous and elegant decoration, a small band playing classical songs in the orchestra pit and waiters wearing evening dresses. This is the tradition of Chersi's restaurant, where customers feast their eyes first (restaurant layout), then their ears (soft music) and finally their mouths (delicious French food). Scholars who study western food, after long-term discussion and induction, think that the most important thing to eat western food is to pay attention to six "M's".
The first one is "menu"
When you enter the western restaurant, the waiter will show you to your seat first. When you sit down, the menu will be presented first. The menu is regarded as the facade of the restaurant and the boss has always attached great importance to it. The cover of the menu is made of the best cloth, and some even make all kinds of beautiful patterns with soft sheepskin. It seems inappropriate to call it a menu here, but it should be called a "menu".
I have a unique knack for ordering good dishes. No matter how I eat in western restaurants at home and abroad, the dishes I order are often delicious and cheap, and are often praised by my colleagues. My way is to open the menu and see which dish is named after the hotel. I often take it. I know that chefs don't joke about their own names, so the dishes they make great efforts are sure to be delicious. Please get to the point.
Speaking of ordering food, reading the menu reminds me of an incident that happened in Maxim's restaurant nearly 20 years ago. Four young "ten thousand households" farmers walked into this luxurious restaurant. They have money and want to try a famous French dish. The restaurant manager and waiter were overjoyed, warmly welcomed them to their seats, politely showed their recipes and respectfully asked them to order. Unexpectedly, one of them pushed the menu aside and said disdainfully, "What do you want? You see, what is expensive, we have plenty of money! " Four farmers spent nearly 2000 yuan to eat a famous French dish, but they made a fool of themselves from time to time. They didn't know how to use a knife and fork, so their napkins finally turned into handkerchiefs. ...
Later, the French general manager talked to me about this matter, and I was very moved: "From these four young people, I was very excited to see that China farmers were really rich. But it is hard for us to understand that China friends eat western food without looking at the menu. In France, even President Charles de Gaulle and President Destin have to look at the menu to order western food. There is no problem of having money but not money, because looking at the menu and ordering food has become an indispensable procedure for eating western food and a way of life. "
The second is "music"
Luxury and advanced western restaurants should have bands and play some soft music, and ordinary small western restaurants should also play some wonderful music. However, the most important thing here is the "audibility" of music, that is, the sound should reach the level of "listening but not listening", that is, if you concentrate on talking with your friends, you can hear it, if you want to rest and relax, and you should master this temperature.
The third is "mood" (atmosphere)
Western food pays attention to elegant environment and harmonious atmosphere. There must be music, white tablecloths and flowers, and all tableware must be clean. At dinner, the lights should be dim and there should be red candles on the table to create a romantic, charming and elegant atmosphere.
The fourth is "meeting"
In other words, you should choose who to eat western food with, and it must be friends, relatives and like-minded people. Eating western food is mainly to connect feelings, and rarely talk about business at the western food table. Therefore, in western restaurants, there are few red-faced scenes.
The fifth is "demeanor" (customs)
Also known as "eating" and "eating", in short, we should follow western customs and don't do anything abrupt, especially when holding a knife and fork. If we dance, we will "lose our manners". 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 with a knife and fork and send it to your mouth. Generally speaking, Europeans do not change hands when using knives and forks, and always use the fork of their left hand to put food into their mouths. Americans put down the knife after cutting, and put the food into their mouths with a fork in their right hand. But at any time, the knife must not be sent to the entrance. At western banquets, the host will arrange for men and women to sit next to each other, and western gentlemen who pay attention to "ladies first" will show hospitality to ladies.
The sixth is "rice" (food)
An American food friend of mine once said, "Japanese people eat with their eyes, and the form of cooking is beautiful." When they eat our western food, they use their noses, so our noses are very big; " Only you great China people know how to eat with your tongue. "Our Chinese food takes" taste "as the core, and western food takes nutrition as the core. As for taste, it can't compare with Chinese food.
To a great extent, eating western food means eating emotional appeal: marble fireplace, glittering crystal lamp, silver candlestick, colorful wine and people's elegant and charming manners, which is a touching oil painting in itself. In order to be more proficient when tasting western food for the first time, it is worthwhile to spend some time familiarizing yourself with these dining etiquette.
1, when sitting, keep your body straight, don't put your elbows on the table, and keep the distance from the table to facilitate the use of tableware. Don't fiddle with the tableware on the dining table. Fold the napkin in half and gently put it on your knee.
2. When eating with a knife and fork, take the knife and fork from outside to inside, with a fork in your left hand and a knife in your right hand; Hold the food with a fork in your left hand, cut it into small pieces with a knife in your right hand, and then send it to your mouth with a fork. When using a knife, the blade should not be outward. When eating, put down the knife and fork in a figure of eight and put them on the edge of the plate respectively. The blade is pointed at yourself, indicating that you will continue to eat. After eating each dish, put the knife and fork together on the plate. If you are talking, you can hold the knife and fork. When you don't use a knife, you can also hold a fork in your right hand, but if you need to gesture, you should put down your knife and fork, never wave it in the air with your hands, never wipe your mouth with a napkin in one hand, and never hold a glass and fork in the other. Remember, never put one end of the knife and fork on the plate and the other end on the table.
Don't eat too much food in your mouth every time. Don't talk while chewing, and don't take the initiative to talk to people.
Don't sip soup, but shut up and chew when eating. Don't smack your lips and make a sound. If the soup is overheated, don't eat it until it is slightly cold. Don't blow it with your mouth. When you drink soup, scoop it out with a spoon. When the soup in the soup plate is almost finished, tilt the outside of the soup plate slightly with your left hand and scoop it out with a spoon. After eating the soup, leave the spoon in the soup plate (bowl) and aim the spoon at yourself.
5. Don't spit directly when eating fish, meat and other dishes with thorns or bones. You can spit it gently on the fork with a napkin and put it on the plate. If there is a small amount of food left on the plate, don't scrape the bottom of the plate with a fork, let alone help you eat with your fingers, but help you eat with a small piece of bread or fork. When eating noodles, roll them up with a fork and send them to your mouth.
6. Bread should be broken into small pieces and sent to the mouth. Don't bite the whole piece of bread. When spreading butter and jam, break the bread into small pieces before spreading it.
7. When Europeans and Americans eat chicken, chicken breast is often the most expensive. When eating chicken legs, you should first remove the bones by force, not by hand. When eating fish, don't turn it over. After eating the upper layer, remove the fishbone with a knife and fork before eating the lower layer. When eating meat, cut it into pieces, not too big, or cut it into pieces at once.
8. Don't put on makeup on the dining table, and wipe your nose with a napkin. Burping while eating is the biggest taboo. If this happens, you should apologize to the people around you immediately. Don't stand when eating. Sit and ask others to pass the food you can't get.
9. Don't wolf down your food. Food that you don't want to eat should also be put on the plate to show politeness. The host suggested that the guests add food. If they have an appetite, it is not rude to add meals. On the contrary, the owner may be proud of it.
10, don't leave during the meal. If you really need to leave, you should whisper hello to the guests around you. When drinking and toasting, even if you don't drink, you should touch the mouth of the cup on your lips to show your respect. When someone pours you wine, if you don't want it, simply say "no, thanks!" " "Or gently cover the cup with your hand to show your refusal.
1 1. Don't smoke before the meal is over, and don't smoke until the coffee is served to indicate the end of the meal. If there are female guests around, you should politely ask "Do you mind?"
12, talk to the guests around you while eating, but avoid talking and laughing loudly. Don't just talk to a few acquaintances. If the guests don't know each other, you can introduce yourself. Don't interrupt when others are talking.
13. If you want to add milk or sugar to your coffee, stir it evenly with a small spoon and put it on the saucer of the coffee. When drinking, hold the cup handle in your right hand, put the saucer in your left hand, and drink directly with your mouth, not with a spoon. Don't bite the whole fruit when eating it. Cut it into 4 or 6 petals with a fruit knife, and then remove the skin and core with a knife and fork.
14, when eating, don't unbutton or undress in public. If the host invites the guest to take off his coat, the male guest can take off his coat and put it on the back of the chair. Don't put his coat or things on the dining table.