One: Seats
Generally speaking, the seating order is "Zuo Zun Dong" and "Zun Men". If it is a round table, the host and guests face the gate. In terms of the distance from the host and guest, the closer the host and guest are, the more respected they are. At the same distance, the left side is more respected than the right side. If it is a square table, if there is a seat facing the gate, the seat on the right side of the gate is the host and guest. If it is not facing the gate, the right seat on the east side is the chief.
If it is a big banquet, the arrangement between tables should pay attention to the chief, with 2, 4 and 6 seats on the left and 3, 5 and 7 seats on the right. According to the identity and status of the host and guests, relatives and friends should sit separately.
If you are the host, you should arrive early, then wait at the door and show the seats to the guests. If you are invited, you should be seated according to the host's arrangement.
Generally speaking, if your boss is present, you should lead him to the main seat and ask the customer to sit on the left side of the main seat, which is the highest level. Unless the host's leadership level is very high.
Two: order.
If time permits, you should wait for most of the guests to arrive, distribute the menu to the guests and invite them to order. Of course, as a business banquet, you will worry about the budget. Therefore, it is most important to control the budget and do more homework before you cook. More importantly, choose a suitable place for your guests, so that they can have a great understanding of your budget. In addition, generally speaking, you pay the bill, the guests are not too embarrassed, and you are the host. If your boss is at the party, don't let him/her order because he/she respects him/her or thinks he/she has rich social experience and eats too much unless he/she asks for it. Otherwise he will feel that he is not decent enough.
If you are a frequent party guest, you should know that you should not take the initiative to order food, but let the host order food. If the other party asks in good faith, you can order a dish that is not too expensive or taboo. Remember to ask the people at the same table, especially "Is there anything not to eat?" Or "What do you prefer to eat?" Let everyone feel taken care of. After ordering, you can ask "I ordered, I don't know if it suits several people's tastes", "Would you like something else" and so on.
When ordering, be sure to know what you want. When ordering food, you can follow the following three rules:
Look at the composition of personnel. Generally speaking, one dish per capita is a general rule. If it is a dinner with more men, the amount can be increased appropriately. Second, look at the combination of dishes. Generally speaking, it is best to prepare a table of dishes well, mix hot and cold, and try to be comprehensive. If there are many men on the table, you can order more meat, and if there are many women, you can order more light vegetables.
Third, look at the importance of banquet. If it is an ordinary business banquet, ordinary dishes from 50 yuan to 80 yuan are acceptable. If the object of this banquet is a key person, order a few dishes with enough weight, such as lobster, swordfish and shad, and then serve abalone, wing powder and so on.
Another thing to note is that when ordering, don't ask the waiter about the price of the food or bargain. This will make your company look a little petty in front of customers and customers will feel uncomfortable.
Attachment: A Guide to Chinese Meals-Three Advantages and Four Taboos
A standard Chinese meal usually starts with cold dishes, then stir-fry, then main course, then snacks and soup. If you feel a little tired, you can order some dessert and finally serve a plate of fruit. When ordering food, we should take into account the dishes of each program.
1) Preferred dishes
1, China specialty. Pay more attention to this rule when entertaining foreign guests. Such as fried spring rolls, dumplings, steamed dumplings, lion's head, kung pao chicken and so on. It is not delicious, but it is highly praised by many foreigners because of its distinctive China characteristics.
2. Dishes with local characteristics. For example, soup mutton in Xi 'an, braised pork in Maojia, Hunan, stewed lion's head in Shanghai, and instant-boiled mutton in Beijing, I'm afraid these specialties will be more praised than the same raw seafood when entertaining foreign guests there.
The specialty of this restaurant. Many restaurants have their own specialties. The last special dish of this restaurant can best reflect the host's care and respect for the invited guests.
2) When arranging the menu, we should also consider the dietary taboos of the guests, especially the dietary taboos of the guests. There are four main dietary taboos.
1, religious dietary taboos, can't be ignored at all. For example, Muslims usually don't eat pork or drink alcohol. Buddhists in China eat less meat, not only meat, but also irritating foods such as onions, garlic, leeks and mustard greens. Some Buddhists who believe in Guanyin are forbidden to eat beef in their diet, so they should pay special attention when entertaining Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan and overseas Chinese compatriots.
For health reasons, some foods are also taboo. For example, people with heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, arteriosclerosis, high blood pressure and sequelae of stroke are not suitable for eating dog meat. Patients with hepatitis should avoid eating mutton and soft-shelled turtle. People with digestive diseases such as gastroenteritis and gastric ulcer soup are also not suitable for eating soft-shelled turtle. Patients with hypertension and high cholesterol should drink less chicken soup.
3. People's dietary preferences are often different in different regions. For this reason, we should take this into account when arranging the menu. For example, people in Hunan generally like to eat spicy food and eat less sweets. British and American people usually don't eat pets, rare animals, animal viscera, animal heads and claws. In addition, when entertaining foreign guests, try to eat as little hard food as possible, and foreigners are unlikely to spit out the food they have bitten into their mouths when eating, which also needs to be considered.
4. Some occupations, for some reasons, often have different special taboos in catering. For example, national civil servants are not allowed to eat, invite guests, eat and drink at official banquets, eat beyond the standards stipulated by the state, and drink alcoholic beverages. For another example, drivers are not allowed to drink alcohol during work. If you ignore this point, you may make the other party make mistakes.
Three: eat vegetables
People in China are generally very particular about eating, and they are also very particular about eating. With more and more attention paid to workplace etiquette, eating at the business table is also more particular. Take Chinese food as an example to teach you how to be polite and elegant at the dinner table.
At the beginning of the Chinese banquet, the first wet towel sent by the waiter is to wipe your hands. Don't use it to wipe your face. When lobster, chicken and fruit are served, a small lemon with lemon slices or rose petals floating is not a drink, but is used to wash hands. When washing your hands, you can wet your fingers in turn, rinse them gently, and then dry them with a small towel.
Pay attention to manners when eating. Don't persuade foreign guests repeatedly, but introduce the characteristics of Chinese food to each other. It's up to him to decide whether to eat or not. Some people like to persuade others and even help others. Foreign guests do not have this habit. If you are polite again and again, people may resent it: "I said I won't eat." What do you have to make me do? " By analogy, when attending a banquet hosted by foreign guests, don't expect the host to give you food repeatedly. If you wait for someone to serve you food, you have to be hungry.
Don't start eating immediately after the guests are seated. Instead, guests should wait for the host to say hello, and then raise their glasses to signal the start. Guests can't walk in front of their hosts. To be civilized, don't move chopsticks until it's your turn. Don't grab it in front of your neighbors. It's not advisable to take too many dishes at once. Chewing slowly is not only conducive to digestion, but also a etiquette requirement at the table. Never put a big piece in your mouth and wolf it down, it will give people the impression of greed. Don't be picky about food, don't just stare at your favorite food, or pile your favorite dishes on the plate in a hurry. The action of eating should be elegant. Don't touch your neighbor while eating. Don't put the plate on the table. Don't spill the soup Don't make unnecessary sounds, such as "purring" when eating soup and "banging" when eating vegetables, which are all vulgar expressions. Don't talk to people while eating. Don't spit bones and fishbones in your mouth on the table. Cover your mouth with a napkin, take it out with chopsticks and put it on a plate. Don't eat the food on the table. Don't play with bowls and chopsticks when eating, and don't take others directly with chopsticks. Don't pick your mouth with your hands. When picking teeth with a toothpick, cover your mouth with your hand or napkin. Don't let the tableware make any noise.
After eating, you can wipe your mouth with napkins, napkins or small towels sent by the waiter, but it is not advisable to wipe your head, neck or chest; Don't burp or burp uncontrollably after meals. The guests can't leave the table until the host signals the end.
Second, list the table manners in ancient and modern times, at home and abroad.
1, ancient China
The problem of catering etiquette has a long history. According to the literature, at least in the Zhou Dynasty, the catering etiquette has formed a fairly perfect system, especially the praise and admiration for Confucius, which was once used as a wine offering ceremony in Shandong and became an important aspect of showing the face of a great country, a state of etiquette and a place of civilization in successive dynasties.
As a tradition of Han nationality, ancient banquet etiquette has its own set of procedures: the host is invited to meet the guests temporarily outside the door. When the guests arrive, they greet each other, introduce them to the living room and provide refreshments. After the guests are seated, guide them to their seats, with the left side facing up, which is regarded as the chief. There are two seats relative to the first seat, three seats under the first seat and four seats under the second seat. When the guests are seated, the host toasts and dishes, and the guests thank each other with gifts. There is also a certain emphasis on serving wine at the dinner: respect the elders and guests first, and then the host. This traditional banquet etiquette has been preserved in most parts of China, such as Shandong, Hongkong and Taiwan Province Province, and has been reflected in many film and television works.
Influenced by the introduction of western food in Qing dynasty, some western etiquette was also introduced. Such as serving food, serving soup and serving wine, Chinese etiquette is also introduced because of reasonable and hygienic eating methods. The exchange of Chinese and western food culture makes the catering etiquette more scientific and reasonable.
1) zaojun
China people not only respect the art and etiquette of eating very much, but even worship the "Kitchen God" originated from Vulcan.
They think "Kitchen God" can protect the kitchen from fires and all kinds of unfortunate events. Every year on the evening of February 23rd, Lunar New Year/KLOC-0, every household should prepare a delicious meal to offer sacrifices to the Kitchen God (that is, the traditional folk "kitchen god"). People will invite the Kitchen God home on the 30th of the twelfth lunar month, that is to say, from the 23rd of the twelfth lunar month, it will be the day when the Kitchen God returns to heaven, and he will tell the Jade Emperor the good things on earth. Therefore, there is a folk saying that "Heaven says good, and descent brings good luck"), including a complete chicken, roast pig, various vegetables, rice and so on. To thank the Kitchen God for his blessing to them in the past year. They usually put the table in front of the "Kitchen God", put delicious food on the left side of the table, offer sacrifices for a few hours, and then take away the food.
2) the relationship between etiquette and superstition
Guests who eat at the same table with traditional China families must respect their culture, etiquette and customs, and be careful not to violate all kinds of taboos when eating, because China people think that diet is almost closely related to their personal fate, and if they violate taboos when eating, it will lead to bad luck. For example, when eating fish, don't use chopsticks to turn the whole fish upside down and clip it to the other side. They think that if the fish breaks when turning over, it means that the fishing boat will sink. This is because Hong Kong was a fishing port in the early days, and fishermen were very concerned about the navigation safety of ships. In addition, China people never eat seven dishes, because the "condolence wine" after the funeral must serve seven dishes; Chopsticks should not be inserted vertically in the center of that bowl of rice, because it is a bit like ancestor worship; Don't say "I'm finished" after eating, which means I'm dead and won't have another chance to eat, but should say "I'm full"; Avoid making noise when chopsticks touch the rice bowl when eating, which is not only impolite, but also means "no food to eat"; To get into the habit of eating all the rice in the bowl, there should not be a grain of rice left in the rice bowl, otherwise the future wife or husband will be "scarred" and disrespect the hard-working farmers. These superstitious dietary customs have been passed down to this day, and they are still more or less the dietary etiquette of China people.
2. Western etiquette
Western table manners originated from the Metamja dynasty in France, and at that time, inspired by Byzantine culture, a series of elaborate manners were formulated.
In Charlemagne of the Roman Empire, etiquette became more complicated and even autocratic. The emperor must sit in the highest chair. Whenever the music starts, princes and nobles will hand the dishes to the emperor.
/kloc-before the 0/7th century, the traditional custom was to eat with a hat on. In the imperial era, table manners were complicated and strict, and different nationalities had different dining habits. Gauls sit and eat; The Romans ate while lying down; The French have learned to put their hands on the table since childhood; British people should put their hands on their thighs when they don't eat.
European table manners evolved from chivalry. /kloc-in the 0/2nd century, Italian culture flowed into France, table manners and menu language became more elegant and refined, and books teaching manners came out one after another.
Today, table manners continue to be inherited in European countries. If you visit a friend's house, you must wear the right clothes, give the right gifts and behave gracefully everywhere.
Tableware is mainly placed for the convenience of eating, and it is taken from the outside to the inside. Never put the used tableware back on the table, usually the waiter will put it away.
1. Red wine glass: When drinking, you should hold the feet of the wine glass, not the body, to avoid the hand temperature destroying the taste of the wine;
2. Water cup: It is best to wipe your mouth before drinking water to avoid leaving oil stains on the cup;
3. White wine glasses;
4. Dessert spoon;
5. dessert fork;
6. Bread plate;
7. butter knife;
8. Harpoon;
9. Big fork (main fork);
10. Napkin: A large napkin can be folded into a triangle and placed on the knee. When wiping your mouth, use the corner position of the napkin; When you leave your seat, you can fold your napkin and put it on the chair or table. After eating, the napkin should be folded and placed on the right side of the plate;
1 1. broadsword (main kitchen knife);
12. Fish knife;
13. Spoon: Don't make any noise when you drink soup. After drinking soup, don't put the spoon in the bowl, pick it up and put it on the soup plate.
1) Sitting etiquette
If a banquet is held as the host, the host and hostess should sit in the middle of a long table, face to face. As the host, you should invite all the guests to sit down one by one, and regarding the order of inviting them to sit down, the first one should be the female companion of the VIP, who is located on the host's right hand side, while the VIP sits on the hostess's right hand side.
If there is no special distinction between host and guest, unless there are elders present, you must be polite, otherwise the ladies can sit down generously. A polite gentleman should wait for the girls to sit down before sitting down.
When you go out to eat, it is inevitable to take your bag with you. At this time, you should put the bag between your back and the back of the chair, not just on the table or on the floor. After sitting down, you should keep the correct sitting posture, but don't be as stiff as Woodenhead, and keep a proper distance from the dining table.
When you need to leave halfway, it is absolutely necessary to say hello to the people at the same table. Men should also get up and be polite, even if they leave the elders or ladies next door, they should help drag their seats.
After dinner, you must wait for the host and hostess to leave before others can start to leave.
2) Use etiquette
Regarding the use of napkins, you must wait until everyone is seated before you can start using them. After the napkin is spread out, it should be laid flat on the thigh and never put into the neckline, because a three-year-old girl may be cute to do so, but it is a bit bad for adults after 13 years old.
In addition, the main function of napkins is to prevent food from staining clothes and wipe off oil stains on lips and hands. When you forget to bring paper towels, please don't use them to wipe your nose, because it is neither elegant nor hygienic.
Some people may be worried about the hygiene of tableware, so it is impolite to wipe tableware with napkins, which will cause embarrassment to restaurants or shopkeepers. After eating, you should fold your napkin and put it on the table before you leave.
The order of using knives and forks in western food is from outside to inside. Use the tableware placed on the outermost side of the plate first, and use a pair of knives and forks for each meal; After eating, the knife and fork are placed side by side in the center of the plate, and the waiter will take the initiative to take the plate away. Tableware is used not only to cut food, but also to move food, because it is impolite to turn over dishes in formal occasions.
3) Dietary etiquette
Meat: Cut the steak from the outside to the inside. Please don't cut it into pieces for convenience. This is not only the lack of temperament, but also the regret that delicious gravy will be lost. When cutting meat, the size should be moderate, not too big, so there is a danger that your mouth will not close. When chewing food, be sure to keep your mouth shut, avoid making noise, and don't put food into your mouth before swallowing it.
Shellfish seafood: Shellfish seafood should be eaten with a shell in your left hand and a fork in your right hand. When eating fish fillets, you can eat them with a fork in your right hand and avoid using a knife, because the tender fish is easily chopped and becomes difficult to clean; When you meet a whole fish, eat the upper layer of the fish first, then remove the fishbone with a knife and fork, and never turn it over. When eating lobster, you can remove the shrimp shell with your fingers before eating.
Fruits: Fruits with plenty of water should be eaten with a small spoon. Peaches and melons will be peeled and sliced in the restaurant first, and should be eaten with a small fork. Strawberries are often put in small plates and can be eaten with a spoon or fork. In addition, when eating fruit, restaurants usually provide hand washing boxes with petals or lemons in them. For washing hands.
Dessert: Generally, cake and cake are divided and eaten with a small fork. After cutting the hard ones with a knife, divide them and eat them with a small fork. As for ice cream or pudding, you can eat it with a spoon. If you encounter small pieces of hard biscuits, you can take them directly.
4) "drinking etiquette"
Soup: When you drink soup, you should use a spoon instead of holding the whole bowl. When drinking soup with a spoon, the spoon should be scooped out from its own side. It is forbidden to stir the hot soup with your mouth or blow it cold. It is the least courtesy to avoid making noise when drinking soup. When the soup is almost finished, you can lift the soup plate with your left thumb and forefinger and tilt it outward, then you can drink the soup. After drinking the soup, the spoon should be placed on the plate of the soup plate or soup cup.
Coffee and tea: When drinking coffee or tea, the restaurant will definitely attach a small spoon to stir the sugar and cream, so try not to stir your drink with the spoon in the sugar pot and cream pot, and don't spoon the coffee to taste the sweetness, otherwise you will definitely get the attention of the whole table. When drinking coffee or tea, hold the cup handle with your forefinger and thumb and hold it up. As for the plates, there is no need to bring them up. After drinking, put the spoon on the plate.
5) Etiquette instructions
1, the trick to making an appointment. The more upscale the hotel, the more you need to make an appointment in advance. When making an appointment, you should indicate not only the number and time, but also whether you want a smoking area or a seat with a good view. If it is a birthday or other special day, you can tell the purpose and budget of the banquet. It is basic courtesy to arrive within the scheduled time.
No matter how expensive casual clothes are, you can't just wear them to the restaurant.
It is common sense for Europeans and Americans to dress appropriately when eating. To go to high-end restaurants, men should wear neat tops and leather shoes; A lady should wear a suit and shoes with heels. If formal clothes are required, men must wear ties.
4. Sit on the left side of the chair. The most suitable sitting position is sitting on the left. When the chair is opened, the body will stand up straight at a distance that almost touches the table. The leader pushes the chair in, and the legs bend and touch the chair behind, so you can sit down.
When eating, the upper arm and back should lean on the back of the chair, and the abdomen should keep a distance of about a fist from the table. Sitting with your feet crossed is best avoided.
6. The order of serving a full set of dinner is: ① dish and soup; ② Cod liver oil; 3 fruits; 4 meat; 5 milk and cold cheese; 6 dessert and coffee; 6 fruit; Aperitif and table wine. There's no need to order them all. It's impolite to order too much and not finish it. People who only order appetizers are not welcome in restaurants with a little standard. Appetizers, main courses (fish or meat) and desserts are the most suitable combinations. Ordering is not an appetizer, but a favorite main course, and then a soup suitable for the main course.
7. Don't pretend to be an expert when ordering wine. In high-end restaurants, bartenders who are good at tasting will bring wine lists. For those who don't know much about wine, it's best to tell him the dishes he chooses, the budget and the taste of his favorite wine, and let the bartender help him choose.
8. If the main course is meat, it should be served with red wine and fish with white wine. Before serving, you might as well have a glass of light wine such as champagne, sherry or Jill.
9. Napkins can be opened before meals. After ordering, before the appetizer is served, open the napkin, fold in one third, and let two thirds lie flat on the leg to cover the leg above the knee. It's best not to stuff napkins into the neckline.
10, gently hold the cup foot with three fingers. Wine service is usually the waiter who is responsible for pouring a small amount of wine into the cup, so that guests can tell whether there is a problem with the quality. Think of it as a formality. Just take a sip and sign it back. Then, the waiter will come and pour the wine. Don't start taking the cup at this time, but put it on the table for the waiter to pour. The correct posture of holding a cup is to gently hold the foot of the cup with your fingers. In order to prevent the temperature of the hand from increasing the temperature of the wine, hold the foot of the cup with your thumb, middle finger and forefinger, and put the little finger on the bottom of the cup to fix it.
1 1, the method of drinking. When drinking, never inhale, but tilt the glass, just like putting the wine on your tongue. Shake the glass gently and let the wine come into contact with the air to enhance the mellow taste of the wine, but don't shake the glass violently. In addition, it is impolite to drink it in one breath and look at people through the glass while drinking. Don't wipe the lipstick mark on the rim of the cup with your fingers. You'd better wipe it with a paper towel.
12, no soup. Scoop the soup from back to front with a spoon, put the bottom of the spoon on the position of the lower lip, and send the soup to the mouth. The angle between the spoon and the mouth is preferably 45 degrees. The upper body leans forward slightly. There is not much soup left in the bowl. You can raise the bowl a little with your fingers. If the soup is in a bowl with a grip, you can drink it directly with the grip.
13, how to eat bread. Tear it into small pieces with your hands first, and then eat it with your left hand. When eating hard bread, tearing it by hand is not only laborious, but also the crumbs will fall all over the floor. At this time, you can cut it in half with a knife and then tear it into pieces by hand. To avoid cutting bread like a saw, you should insert the knife into the other half first. When cutting, you can fix the bread by hand to avoid making noise.
14, how to eat fish. Fish is tender and crisp, so restaurants often prepare special spoons instead of knives. This spoon is a little bigger than ordinary soup. It can not only divide the dishes, but also scoop up the sauce to eat together. If you want to eat other mixed vegetables, you'd better use a fork. First, stab a straight line near the cheek with a knife. Don't pierce the tip of the knife, only half of it. After picking up the upper body of the fish, start from the beginning, put the knife and fork under the bone, cut it in the direction of the fish tail, remove the needle bone and move it to the corner of the plate. Finally, cut off the fish tail. From left to right, eat while cutting.
How to use a knife and fork? The basic principle is to hold a knife or spoon in your right hand and a fork in your left. If there are more than two, you should take them from the outermost one in turn. The way to hold a knife and fork is to gently hold the tail end and press the index finger on the handle. The spoon can be held with a pen. If you feel inconvenient, you can change your right hand to hold the fork, but it is impolite to change it frequently. When eating big vegetables, you can fold and cut them with a knife and fork. Soft food can be put on a fork and arranged with a knife.
16, have a rest, knife and fork. If you want to put down your knife and fork and have a rest in the middle of eating, you should put the knife and fork in the center of the plate in a figure of eight. If the knife and fork stick out of the plate, it is neither safe nor beautiful. It's impolite to wave a knife and fork when talking. Put the knife and fork at four o'clock after eating.
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