Rules at the dinner table

1. Seating arrangement

Generally speaking, the seating arrangement is "to the left and to the east" and "to face the door is to respect". If it is a round table, the one facing the door is the host and guest, and the positions to the left and right of the host and guest are based on the distance from the host and guest. The closer the host and guest are, the more respectable they are. At the same distance, the left side is more respected than the right side. If it is the Eight Immortals table, if there are seats facing the door, the right seat on the side facing the door will be the host and guest. If it is not facing the gate, the right seat on the side facing east is the chief. If it is a big banquet, the arrangement between the tables should be such that the chief guest is in the front and center, with seats 2, 4, and 6 on the left, and seats 3, 5, and 7 on the right. They should be seated according to the identity and status of the host and guest.

If you are the host, you should arrive early, wait near the door, and lead the guests to their seats. If you are an invitee, you should follow the host's seating arrangements.

Generally speaking, if your boss is present, you should lead him to the main seat and ask the highest-ranking customer to sit on the left side of the main seat. Unless the leadership level of the person being entertained this time is very high.

2. Ordering

If time permits, you should wait until most of the guests have arrived, then circulate the menu to the guests and ask them to order. Of course, as a business banquet, you will worry about the budget. Therefore, to control the budget, the most important thing is to do more homework before the meal. It is more important to choose a suitable banquet venue, so that the guests can also fully understand your intention. Budget. Moreover, generally speaking, if you pay the bill and the guests are too embarrassed to order, they will let you make the decision. If your boss is also at the banquet, never let him/her order food because you respect him/her or think that he/she has rich social experience and eats a lot at the banquet, unless he/she takes the initiative. Otherwise, he will feel unworthy.

If you are a dinner party, you should know that you should not be too proactive when ordering, but let the host take the order. If the other party asks kindly, you can order a dish that is not too expensive and not everyone's taboo. Remember to ask the opinions of people at the table, especially asking "Is there anything you don't eat?" or "What do you prefer to eat?" to make everyone feel taken care of. After ordering, you can ask for instructions, "I've ordered something, but I don't know if it suits everyone's taste

", "Would you like anything else?" and so on.

When ordering, you must know what to expect. When ordering, you can follow the following three rules:

Look at the personnel composition. Generally speaking, one dish per person is a more general rule. If it is a dinner party with more men, the amount can be increased appropriately.

Secondly, look at the combination of dishes. Generally speaking, it is best to have meat and vegetables, cold and hot dishes on a table, and try to be as comprehensive as possible. If there are many men at the table, you can order more meat dishes; if there are more women, you can order more light vegetable dishes.

Three things to look at are the importance of banquets. For an ordinary business banquet, the average price of a dish is about 50 yuan to 80 yuan, which is acceptable. If the banquet is for a relatively important person, then order a few dishes of sufficient portions, such as lobster, saury, anchovies, and a larger size, such as abalone, fin powder, etc.

Another thing to note is that when ordering, you should not ask the waiter for the price of the dishes or bargain. This will make your company look a bit petty in front of customers, and customers will also feel uncomfortable.

Attachment: Chinese food ordering guide - three good things and four taboos

A standard Chinese meal, usually, cold dishes are served first, followed by hot stir-fry, and then the main course. , then snacks and soup are served. If you feel a little tired of eating, you can order some desserts, and finally a fruit plate is served. When ordering, you should take into account the dishes of each program.

Priority dishes

1. Dishes with Chinese characteristics. When entertaining foreign guests, you should pay more attention to this point. Dishes such as fried spring rolls, boiled yuanxiao, steamed dumplings, lion heads, kung pao chicken, etc. are not delicacies, but because they have distinctive Chinese characteristics, they are highly praised by many foreigners.

2. Dishes with local characteristics. For example, Xi'an's mutton steamed buns, Hunan's Maojia braised pork, Shanghai's braised lion's head, and Beijing's mutton-shabu-shabu. When entertaining foreign guests there, these special dishes will probably be more popular than the same raw seafood.

3. Specialties of this restaurant. Many restaurants have their own specialties. Serving one of the restaurant's special dishes can show the owner's attentiveness and respect for the guests.

When arranging the menu, the dietary taboos of the guests must also be considered, especially the dietary taboos of the guest of honor. There are four main dietary taboos

1. Religious dietary taboos cannot be ignored at all. For example, Muslims generally do not eat pork and do not drink alcohol. Domestic Buddhists should eat less meaty food, which not only refers to meat, but also includes onions, garlic, leeks, mustard and other pungent-smelling foods. Some Buddhists who believe in Guanyin specifically prohibit beef in their diet. This should be especially noted when entertaining compatriots from Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan and overseas Chinese.

2. For health reasons, there are also taboos on certain foods. For example, people with heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, arteriosclerosis, hypertension and stroke sequelae are not suitable to eat dog meat. Hepatitis patients should avoid eating mutton and soft-shelled turtles. People with gastroenteritis, gastric ulcer and other digestive system diseases are also not suitable to eat soft-shelled turtles. , Patients with high blood pressure and high cholesterol should drink less chicken soup.

3. People in different regions often have different dietary preferences. This should be taken into account when arranging the menu. For example, people in Hunan Province generally like to eat spicy food and eat less sweet food. People in British and American countries generally do not eat pets, rare animals, animal offal, animal heads and paws. In addition, when entertaining foreign guests, try to order as few dishes as possible that require chewing. Foreigners are less likely to spit out the food they bite during the meal. This also needs to be taken into consideration.

4. Some professions, for some reason, often have different special taboos in catering. For example, state civil servants are not allowed to eat and drink when performing official duties, are not allowed to eat or drink excessively during official banquets, are not allowed to eat beyond the standards set by the state, and are not allowed to drink hard liquor. Another example is that drivers are not allowed to drink while working. If you ignore this point, you may cause the other party to make mistakes.

3. Eating vegetables

Chinese people are generally very particular about their food and the way they eat. As workplace etiquette becomes more and more important, eating and eating habits at business dinners are becoming more particular. The following takes Chinese food as an example to teach you how to be polite and skillful at the dinner table.

At the beginning of a Chinese banquet, the first wet towel given by the waiter is for wiping your hands. Do not use it to wipe your face. When lobster, chicken, and fruit are served, a small watermelon will be served, with lemon slices or rose petals floating in it. It is not a drink, but a hand wash. When washing your hands, you can take turns to wet your fingers with both hands, rinse them gently, and then dry them with a small towel.

Be civilized and polite when dining. When dealing with foreign guests, do not repeatedly persuade them to eat. Instead, introduce the characteristics of Chinese food to them, and it is up to them whether they want to eat it or not. Some people like to ask others for food, or even pick up food for them. Foreign guests don’t have this habit, so if you keep being polite, they might get offended and say, “I said I won’t eat, so why do you have to force me to do it?” By analogy, when attending a banquet hosted by foreign guests, don’t expect the host to repeatedly give you food. If you wait for others to provide you with food, you will have to eat your fill.

After guests sit down, do not take food immediately. The guests should wait until the host greets and raises their glass to signal the start, and the guests cannot get ahead of the host. You should be polite when picking up food. You should wait until the dishes are in front of you before using your chopsticks. Don't rush in front of your neighbor. Don't pick up too many dishes at one time. Chew carefully and slowly, which is not only good for digestion, but also a requirement for table etiquette. Never stuff large pieces into your mouth and devour them greedily, as this will give people the impression of greed. Don't be a picky eater, don't just focus on your favorite dishes, or rush to pile your favorite dishes on your plate. The movements of the meal should be elegant. Don't bump into your neighbor when picking up the dishes, don't push the dishes on the plate to the table, and don't spill the soup. Don't make unnecessary noises, such as "gurgling" when drinking soup or "baping" when eating vegetables. These are all vulgar expressions. Don't eat and chat with people at the same time. Don't spit the bones and fish bones in your mouth on the table. You can cover your mouth with a napkin, take them out with chopsticks and put them on a plate. Don't eat any food that falls on the table. Do not play with the dishes or chopsticks while eating, or point them at others. Don't pick it in your mouth with your hands. When picking teeth with a toothpick, cover your mouth with your hands or a napkin. Don't let the utensils make any noise.

After the meal, you can wipe your mouth with a napkin, napkin or a small towel given by the waiter, but it is not suitable to wipe your head, neck or chest; do not burp or belch uncontrollably after the meal; When the signal is over, guests cannot leave the table first.

4. Drinking wine

As the saying goes, the more you drink, the thicker the wine becomes, but there are also many things to pay attention to at the wine table. The following summarizes some things you have to pay attention to at the wine table. Small details.

Detail 1: After the leaders finish drinking each other, it is their turn to toast. When toasting, you must stand up and raise the glass with both hands.

Detail 2: Many people can respect one person, but one person must not respect many people, unless you are a leader.

Detail 3: Respect others by yourself. If you don’t clink glasses, how much you drink depends on the situation, such as the other person’s drinking capacity and attitude towards drinking. You must not drink less than the other person. You must know that you are honoring others. .

Detail 4: When you are toasting others, if you clink glasses and say, "I'll finish the drink, you can do whatever you want" to show your generosity.

Detail 5: Remember to add more wine to the leader or customer. Don’t blindly substitute wine for the leader. Even if you want to replace the leader, you must also pretend that you are doing it because the leader or customer really wants to find someone to replace you. Drink instead of drinking to drink for the leader. For example, if Leader A is too drunk, he can stop the people who are about to pay respect to Leader A by making insinuations.

Detail 6: Hold the wine glass (beer glass), hold the glass with your right hand, and place the bottom of the glass with your left hand. Remember that your own glass is always lower than others. If you are a leader, be wise and don't put yourself too low, otherwise how can you be called a person below?

Detail 7: If no special person is present, it is best to drink in clockwise order, and do not favor one over another.

Detail 8: Clink glasses and toast with words, otherwise, why would I want to drink your wine?

Detail 9: Don’t talk business on the table, just drink. The business is almost over, and everyone understands in their hearts, otherwise they wouldn't be open to drinking with you.

Detail 10: If, purely if, you encounter a situation where there is not enough wine, put the wine bottle in the middle of the table and let people refill it. Don't be stupid and rubbish and pour the wine one by one, otherwise the people behind you will What to do if there is no wine?

About toasting

1. The host greets the guest of honor.

2. Accompany the guests and respect the guest of honor.

3. The guest of honor returns the favor.

4. Respect each other when accompanying guests.

Remember: When you are a guest, you must not make a toast indiscriminately. That is very impolite and disrespectful to the host.

5. Pour tea

The tea-pouring knowledge mentioned here applies not only to customers visiting the company, but also to business tables.

First of all, the tea set should be clean. After the guests enter the room, first let them sit and prepare tea. Before making tea, be sure to wash the tea sets, especially tea sets that have not been used for a long time. They will inevitably be stained with dust and dirt, so they must be washed carefully with clean water. It is best to scald the teapot and teacup with boiling water before making or pouring tea. In this way, you pay attention to hygiene and appear polite. It is impolite to pour tea for guests regardless of whether the tea set is clean or not. People feel nauseated when they see stains on teapots and tea cups, so why are they still willing to drink your tea?

Nowadays, most companies use disposable cups. Before pouring tea, pay attention to the disposable cups. Put a cup holder on the cup to prevent the water from scalding your hands and making it impossible for guests to hold the cup and drink tea.

Secondly, the amount of tea should be appropriate. Let’s talk about tea first, generally it should be appropriate. Tea should not be too much or too little. If there are too many tea leaves, the tea flavor will be too strong; if there are too few tea leaves, the brewed tea will have no flavor. If the guest takes the initiative to introduce his habit of drinking strong or light tea, then make the tea according to the guest's taste. Besides, when pouring tea, whether it is a large or small cup, it is not advisable to pour it too full. If it is too full, it will easily overflow and wet the table, stools, and floor. If you are not careful, you may burn yourself or your guests' hands and feet, making both the host and guest feel embarrassed. Of course, it is not advisable to pour too little. If the tea is served to guests only covering the bottom of the cup, it will make people feel that it is pretentious and not sincere.

Again, serving tea must be done correctly. According to the traditional habits of our people, as long as the hands are not disabled, tea is served to guests with both hands. However, some young people now do not understand this rule and make trouble by handing the tea to the guests with one hand. You should also be careful when serving tea with both hands. For tea cups with cup lugs, you usually hold the cup lugs with one hand and hold the bottom of the cup with the other hand to serve the tea to the guests. After filling a teacup with no lugs, the whole body will be hot, and it is difficult to get close to the cup with hands. Some comrades just hold the edge of the cup with their fingers and serve it in front of the guests. Although this method of serving tea can prevent burn accidents, it is unsightly and not hygienic enough. Please imagine, how comfortable it would be to have the guest's mouth lick the host's finger marks?

Add some tea. If your boss or client needs more tea in their cup, you have to do it.

You can signal the waiter to refill the tea, or ask the waiter to leave the teapot on the table. Even better, you can refill it yourself. This is the best way to hide when you don't know what to say. Of course, when adding tea, you should first add tea to your boss and customers, and then add tea to yourself last.

6. Leave the table

Generally, cocktail parties and tea parties last for a long time, about two hours or more. Maybe after walking around a few times and recognizing some people, you soon want to leave. At this time, you must not understand some techniques for leaving the meeting midway.

It is common that when a banquet is in full swing, everyone will disperse because someone wants to leave, making the host really anxious. To avoid this unpleasant consequence, when you are about to leave midway, never say goodbye to everyone in the conversation circle. Just say hello quietly to the two or three people around you, and then leave.

When you leave the reception in the middle, you must explain and apologize to the host who invited you, and do not disappear in a flash.

After greeting the host, you should leave immediately. Do not drag the host to chat endlessly at the gate. Because the other party has a lot to do that day, and there are many guests waiting for him or her to greet you. If you take up too much of the host's time, it will cause him or her to be rude in front of other guests.