Western Dining Etiquette
1. Sit from the left side of the chair. The most appropriate way to sit is from the left side. When the chair is pulled away, stand up straight at a distance that is almost touching the table. The leader will push the chair in, and you can sit down when your legs touch the chair behind you. When sitting, your body should be upright, your elbows should not be placed on the table, your feet should not be crossed, and the tableware that has been placed on the dining table should not be fiddled with. Open the napkin after ordering. Fold the napkin in half and place it gently in your lap. Napkins can be used to wipe mouth or hands, but not to wipe tableware or face. When you soil your mouth, always wipe it with a napkin and avoid using your own handkerchief. It is best not to tuck the napkin into the neckline. It is polite to wipe the inside of the folded back of the meal instead of staining the front. I also wiped my fingers with a napkin after washing them. If the napkin is extremely dirty, ask the waiter to change it. When you have to spit out bad food, don't spit it on the plate. It's better to wrap it in a napkin when others aren't paying attention, and ask for a new table napkin. The most appropriate combination is an appetizer, main course (choose one of fish or meat) and dessert. Ordering does not start with the appetizer. Instead, you choose the main dish you want to eat most, and then pair it with a soup suitable for the main dish.
2. When dining, your upper arms and back should lean against the back of the chair, and your abdomen should be about a fist away from the table. It is best to avoid sitting with your feet crossed. Remember to eat with your head up and your chest up. When bringing the food in front of you into your mouth, you should take the food with your mouth instead of bending down to take the food with your mouth. In the set menu of formal Western cuisine, they are often used together according to the characteristics of different dishes. Knives and forks of various shapes are not all displayed at the beginning. Speaking of a complete set, it is easy to think of a table full of silverware. Nowadays, it is mostly the way of ordering 2-3 single dishes. When eating with a knife and fork, the knife, fork and spoon are also used. Arranged in order of use. The ones used first are placed on the outside farthest from the main dish plate, and the ones used later are placed on the inside closer to the main dish plate. If the main course is served first and then the salad, the fork of the main course should be placed on the outside of the salad fork and the knife and fork should be taken from the outside to the inside. When eating Western food, hold the fork in the left hand and the knife in the right hand; the index finger of the left hand is close to the fork handle and the fork of the right hand is Press your index finger on the back of the knife. Just hold the spoon like a pen. When cutting something, hold the fork in your left hand to hold the food, hold the knife in your right hand to cut it into small pieces, and put it into your mouth with the fork. When using a knife, the blade must not point outward. When you put down your knife and fork during a meal, you should place it in an "eight" shape and place the knife and fork on the plate. The blade of the knife is facing towards you, indicating that you will continue to eat. After each dish is finished, put the knife and fork together on the plate. If you are talking, you can hold the knife and fork without putting it down. When not using a knife, you can hold a fork in your right hand. However, if you need to make a gesture, you should put down the knife and fork. Never wave the knife or fork in the air, nor hold a knife or fork in one hand while holding a napkin in the other hand. Mouth, nor should you hold a wine glass in one hand and a fork in the other hand to pick up vegetables. Remember, never put one end of a knife and fork on the plate and the other end on the table.
3. Don’t sip when drinking soup, and keep your mouth closed when eating. Don't lick your lips or smack your lips to make sounds. If the soup is too hot, wait until it cools down slightly before eating. Do not blow it with your mouth. When drinking soup, use a spoon to scoop it from the inside out. When the soup in the soup plate is almost finished, use your left hand to slightly tilt the outside of the soup plate and scoop it out with a spoon. When you finish eating the soup, leave the spoon in the soup plate (bowl) with the spoon handle pointing toward you.
4. When eating fish, meat and other dishes with thorns or bones, do not spit them out directly. You can cover your mouth with a napkin and spit them gently on the fork and put them on the plate. Place leftover chicken, fish bones and scraps on the outer edge of your plate. Do not put them on the table, let alone throw them on the floor. If there is a small amount of food left on the plate, do not use a fork to scrape the bottom of the plate, and do not use your fingers to help eat. Instead, eat with a small piece of bread or a fork. When eating noodles, roll them up with a fork and then put them into your mouth.
5. Bread is usually broken into small pieces and put into the mouth. Do not bite the whole piece of bread. When spreading butter and jam, break the bread into small pieces before spreading.
6. When eating chicken, Europeans and Americans mostly value chicken breast meat. When eating chicken legs, you should remove the bones first and do not eat them with your hands. When eating fish, do not turn the fish over. After eating the upper layer, use a knife and fork to remove the fish bones before eating the lower layer. When eating meat, you should cut it into pieces and eat them one by one. Do not cut the pieces too large, or cut the meat into pieces at once. .
7. If you are willing to add milk or sugar when drinking coffee, stir it evenly with a small spoon after adding it, and place the small spoon on the coffee pad. When drinking, you should hold the cup handle with your right hand, hold the saucer with your left hand, and drink directly with your mouth. Do not use a small spoon to scoop it up one by one.
When eating fruit, do not bite the fruit whole. You should first cut it into four pieces with a fruit knife, then remove the skin and core with a knife, and eat with a fork.
8. Use a knife and fork to eat meat with bones. When eating meat with bones, you can eat it with your hands. If you want to eat more elegantly, it is better to use a knife. Use a fork to secure the entire piece of meat (you can point the fork upward and press the meat with the back of the fork), then insert a knife along the bone to cut the meat. It’s best to cut and eat at the same time. If you have to eat with your hands, handwashing water will be provided. When handwashing water is served together with bone-in meat, it means "please eat with your hands." After using your fingers to eat, put your fingers in a bowl of hand soap and wash them. If you get your fingers dirty when eating ordinary dishes, you can also ask the waiter to bring you hand washing water. Pay attention to washing your hands gently.
9. When ordering steak, the waiter will first ask about the degree of grilling and can serve it according to your favorite cooking method.
When eating, use a fork to pick up the meat from the left side, and then use a knife to cut the meat along the right side of the fork. If the cut meat cannot be eaten in one bite, you can cut it again with a knife. Smaller, cut into bite-sized pieces of meat and serve them directly to your mouth with a fork. It should be eaten from left to right. All the garnished vegetables should also be eaten. The vegetables placed next to the steak are not only for decoration, but also added based on nutritional balance. Most Chinese people keep cress. If you don’t really like to eat it, it’s best not to keep it.
10. Eat bread and break it into bites. Dip the bread in the sauce until there is no sauce left. It is polite to the chef. Be careful not to "lick" the bread plate very clean, and do not use a fork to fork the bread.
11. When you have to leave the table in the middle of the meal, it is best to say hello to the people at the same table while the food is being served. Say hello, put the napkin on the chair before leaving, so as not to disrupt the entire eating process and atmosphere. After eating, just place the napkin on the table casually without having to fold it neatly.
12. The waiter will always pay attention to the needs of the guests. If you need service, you can signal to him with your eyes or slightly raise your hand, and the waiter will come over immediately. When something is dropped, it is best to ask the waiter to pick it up for you. If you are satisfied with the service and want to pay a tip, you can pay with a charge card, that is, write the total amount including the tip on the bill and then sign. Don’t forget to give verbal thanks at the end