When to Start:
15. For a small table of four people, wait
until the food is served to everyone.
16. At a formal table or business meal, wait
until the hosts ask you to start.
Resting Utensils:
17. Following the Continental style, you keep
the fork and knife facing on the inner side,
forming a 'V' and with the tips of fork and
knife pointing to each other.
18. Following American style, rest your knife
upper right, diagonally and fork following it
sidewise.
Passing the Food:
19. You always pass the food to the person
right to you.
20. You hold the dish while the person is
taking the food or you handover the dish to
the person to get served on their own.
Bread Passing Etiquettes:
21. If the loaf isn't cut into slices, cut one or
two slices, offer it to the person sitting to your
left and then forward the basket to the right-
sided person.
22. Don't use your fingers to hold the bread.
Instead, use the cloth from the bread basket
to cut the bread easily.
Salt and Pepper Etiquettes:
23. Apart from the places of salt and pepper,
they should be passed together if needed.
(Please don't part them away from each
other!)
Soup Etiquettes:
24. Place the end of the soup spoon on your
middle finger and place the thumb on the
top.
25. Dip the spoon sideways at the edge of
the bowl, then skim away from soup.
Sitting Etiquettes:
26. The guest of honour, in case there is one,
should sit on the best seat of the table, ideally
with the back of the chair towards a wall.
27. Once the place of the guest of the
honour is decided, hosts should sit to the left
side of him/her.
28. Other seats should be offered to people
around the table.
Food Service Etiquettes:
29. Food is served by the server and he/she
presents the platter or bowl on the diner's left.
30. At a more casual meal, the host should
serve on the guest's plate and then pass the
food dish to others.
Leaving the Dining room:
31. To conclude, when the dinner is done, the
hostess catches the eye of the host, lays the
napkin on the table and suggests everyone
go to another room for coffee or after-dinner
drinks.
32. Rather than lengthy goodbye, make the
departure brief but cordial.
And now, here are some general rules:
33. Place the electronic gadgets off the table.
Make sure your mobile is in silent mode.
34. Simply say, 'excuse me' and 'I'll be right
back' while leaving for the restroom.
35. If you wanna speak more than one a
word, swallow the food, put down the fork on
your plate and speak before you resume to
eat.
36. While getting any item away from you,
ask somebody to pass it or take it if it's within
your reach. Don't lean past another person
sitting next to you.
37. Don't drink with a mouth full of food.
Don't leave any food particles on the rim of
the vessel.
Learning about these formalities just for
having the favourite thing on the earth, i.e.
food, I would give a second thought to have it
or not. But these are few things you could
take care of while dining sophisticatedly with
people. Have your dinner and don't forget the
desserts as it's the yummiest part of the meal.
Free advice - never ever skip to the desserts,
no matter what! Enjoy the dinner!
APR 18 36