In its long-term development process, Chinese food has been eclectic and gradually formed its own service method. This service method is compatible with many characteristics of Chinese food dishes. Commonly used Chinese food service methods include three types of service methods: first-class service, carousel service and meal-sharing service.

1. ***Meal-style service

***Meal-style service is more suitable for a la carte Chinese food service for about 2-6 people. The service procedures and forms are as follows:

When setting the table, place one or two pairs of chopsticks and spoons according to the size of the table and the number of diners. When serving food, the waiter stands at the appropriate position and places the dishes in the tray on the table. Name the dishes and introduce the characteristics of the dishes to the guests.

When providing dining-style service, you should pay attention to the following matters

When serving Chinese food, all dishes are often served at the same time. The waiter should pay attention to the placement of different dishes on the table, especially The combination of meat and vegetables and colors. When the dishes are served, be sure to provide appropriate public tableware to facilitate guests to pick up the dishes and avoid using the same tableware. When the dishes cannot be placed on the countertop, you should seek the opinions of the guests, organize the countertop, remove the plates with few leftovers, and do not stack the dishes on top of each other.

If you encounter foreign guests dining, you should take the initiative to provide them with forks, spoons and other Western tableware. Dishes such as whole chicken, whole duck, and whole fish should be helped to cut into shapes that are easy to pick up with chopsticks. After all the dishes are served, you should inform the guests and ask them whether the variety and quantity are sufficient. Finally, wish the guests a satisfactory meal.

2. Turntable service

The turntable service method and procedure are as follows:

Table layout: spread the tablecloth on the table according to the tablecloth laying requirements; Place the rotating shaft of the turntable base in the center of the table; place a clean turntable on the rotating shaft and test whether it can rotate freely; set the table according to the requirements of a casual meal or banquet.

Carousel-style light meal service

Place 2-4 pairs of chopsticks and public spoons on the countertop. The waiter serves the dishes from the appropriate position, announces the name of the dish, and introduces the special dishes. Guests use communal utensils to serve themselves. Waiters assist guests in distributing whole fish, whole chicken, whole duck and other large dishes. Switch the bone plates for the guests between the boney, prickly and different-tasting dishes. When changing the plates, pay attention to: remove first and then serve, first the female and then the male, first the older and then the younger, first the guest and then the host.

Turntable banquet service

The waiter stands at the appropriate position to serve and divide the dishes for the guests. When a waiter is serving alone, follow the following procedures for serving dishes: take away dirty dishes; introduce new dishes; place clean bone plates along the side of the turntable; use public cutlery to distribute dishes; invite guests to enjoy the new dishes.

When there are two waiters working together to serve, follow the following procedures to share dishes: take away the dirty plates; replace them with clean bone plates; introduce the dishes; the two waiters work together to share the dishes, one person divides the dishes and the other passes the plates , pay attention to the order of priority; invite guests to enjoy.

3. Separate meal service

Side table service

Side table service is a fixed or pushable mobile service side table next to the banquet table. , place some clean bone plates and other tableware on the side table for serving the banquet dishes. The service procedure is:

The waiter delivers the dishes to the table on a tray and introduces the features of the dishes to the guests. Place dishes back on the serving side table and prepare for portioning. Two waiters cooperate, one divides the dishes, and the other removes the dirty plate used for the previous dish on the table, and then places the bone plate with the newly divided dish in front of each guest. Arrange the remaining dishes on the plate and return them to the dining table so that diners can add more if needed.

Dish delivery service

The basic procedure of dish delivery service: the waiter replaces the guest with a clean bone plate. The waiter brings the dishes to the table, announces the names of the dishes, and introduces the characteristics of the dishes to the guests. Place the dishes on a small round tray covered with a clean towel. Hold the tray in your left hand and use the serving spoon and serving fork in your right hand to divide the dishes. The order of distribution is according to the guest of honor, the host, and then proceed clockwise around the table. It is recommended to distribute dishes from the left side of the guest, so as to avoid the interlacing of trays, spoons, and forks.

After each customer is served, the waiter should take two steps back and then turn around to serve the next customer. Finally, sort out the remaining dishes and put them back on the table so that guests can add them if needed. The service is similar to the Russian service in Western food.

Four types of Western food services

1. French service

Key points of French Western food service: Each table is equipped with a waiter and a service assistant to cooperate with the guests. Serve. After the guests order, the preparation of the dishes is completed in front of the guests. The semi-finished products are invited to be viewed by the guests, and then the preparation is completed on a trolley with a heating stove. After being plated, the guests are invited to taste. Remove utensils after each dish. The food is matched with the wine. Countertops must be cleared after each dish is served.

2. Russian-style service

Russian-style service requires a waiter to complete the entire service procedure. The waiter took out the dishes cooked and decorated by the chef and put them on the silver serving plate and the hot empty plate from the kitchen, and placed the serving plate on the service side table of the western restaurant.

Use your right hand to distribute the hot empty plates to the customers in a clockwise direction from the right side of the guest seat, then bring the silver plate with the dishes to the table for the customers to watch, and then use your left hand to hold the silver plate with a napkin. Hold the serving fork and spoon in your right hand, and serve dishes to customers around the table in a counterclockwise direction from the side of the guest seat.

The order of serving meals is bread-butter-cold cuts-soup-fish-side dishes-main course-dessert-fruit-coffee or black tea.

The wine and beverage service is the same as the French style, which is more elegant and meticulous.

3. British-style service

British-style Western food does not require plates. No plates are placed when setting the table. Except for soup plates and cold dishes, everything else is placed on the table in advance. . The dishes ordered by the guests are placed directly in front of the guests for them to enjoy. Third, food is generally not served during the service process.

British-style service is also called family-style service and is mainly suitable for private banquets. The atmosphere of British service is very lively and saves manpower, but the pace is slower. It is mainly suitable for banquets and is rarely used in popular Western restaurants.

4. American service

After the guests are seated, turn the water glass over and pour a glass of ice water. Always use your left hand to serve dishes from the guest's left side, and when removing dishes, use your right hand to remove them from the guest's right side. When serving beets after the main course is served, the dishes must be removed first, the countertop must be cleared, and then served. Other tableware is generally left untouched. The service operation is fast and customers can eat more freely.

Dine: After sitting down, the host greets you and you start eating.

When taking out dishes, don’t overfill them. After the food on the plate is finished, if it is not enough, you can take more. If the waiter distributes the dishes, if you need to add more, wait until the waiter brings it to you. If you can't eat or don't like the food, when the waiter serves it or the host takes it, don't refuse it. You can put a small amount on the plate and say "Thank you, that's enough." Don't show your face to the dish that doesn't suit your taste. Embarrassed expression.

Be polite when eating. Close your mouth and chew, don't sip the soup, and don't make any noise when eating. If the soup or vegetables are too hot, wait for them to cool down before eating. Do not blow them with your mouth. Do not spit out the fishbones and bones in your mouth directly. Cover your mouth with a napkin and take them out with your hands, or gently spit them on a fork and put them on a dish.

Leftovers, used tableware and toothpicks should be placed on the plate, not on the table. Never speak with food in your mouth. When flossing, cover your mouth with your hands or a napkin.

Use of tableware

The tableware for Chinese food is mainly bowls and chopsticks, while for Western food, it is knives, forks and plates. Foreigners are usually entertained to eat Chinese food, usually Chinese or Western food, with bowls, chopsticks, and knives and forks set out. The use of a knife and fork is to hold the knife in the right hand and the fork in the left hand, cut the food into small pieces, and then use the fork to put it into the mouth. Europeans do not change hands when using it, that is, they hold the fork with their left hand from cutting to serving food.

After cutting, Americans put down the knife and hold the fork in their right hand to bring food into the mouth. When dining, use the knife and fork in the order from outside to inside. After each dish is finished, put the knife and fork together on the plate to show that you are finished. If you have not finished eating, place it in a figure eight or cross position, with the knife edge facing inward. When eating chicken or lobster, you can tear it open with your hands upon the owner's instruction. Otherwise, you can use a knife and fork to cut off the meat and cut it into small pieces.

When cutting meat with bones or hard shells, the fork must be firmly inserted into the meat, and the knife should be cut close to the edge of the fork to avoid slipping. When cutting vegetables, be careful not to hit the plate too hard and make a sound. For food that is difficult to fork, or food that is difficult to fork, use a knife to gently push it onto the fork. Except for drinking soup, do not eat with a spoon.

The soup should be served in a deep plate or small bowl. When drinking, use a spoon to scoop it up from the inside out and put it into your mouth. When you are about to drink it all, you can hold the plate slightly outward. Food with fishy smell, such as fish, shrimp, game, etc., should be served with lemon. You can squeeze the juice with your hands and drip it on the food to remove the fishy smell.

The basic principle is to hold a knife or spoon in your right hand and a fork in your left hand. If there are more than two, they should be taken from the outermost one inward. The way to hold a knife and fork is to hold the end lightly and press the index finger on the handle. Just hold the spoon like a pen. If it feels inconvenient, you can change the right hand to hold the fork, but changing it frequently will appear rude. When eating larger vegetables, use a knife and fork to fold and cut them. Softer foods can be placed on the flat surface of a fork and trimmed with a knife.