Chinese restaurant service: pouring wine, order of serving dishes and the art of food presentation

IV. Pouring the Wine

(1) Hold the small round plate with your left hand and pour the wine starting from the guest of honor (the guest to the right of the host). When pouring wine, ask the guest for their opinion first and pour according to their preference.

(2) When pouring wine, pour from the right side of the guest. All drinks, including cold water and tea, should be poured from the right side of the guest. Do not pour from both sides at the same time. Also, pay attention to serving guests first and then the host, and women first and then men.

(3) If a guest requests to mix beer and soda, the soda should be poured first, followed by the beer.

(4) Ask the guest if they want baijiu (Chinese liquor). If not, remove the baijiu glass.

(5) When pouring wine, pay attention to the amount of wine; it should not be too much or too little.

(6) When pouring wine or other beverages, the side of the bottle or beverage with the sign should face upwards so that guests can see the sign clearly.

(7) Yellow wine is a typical rice wine. In order to appreciate the charm of rice wine, it is best to warm the wine before drinking it. Generally, use hot water to heat the wine to about 37.5℃, which is slightly higher than body temperature.

(8) If guests bring their own drinks, we should open the bottles and pour the drinks for them and provide good service.

V. Serving the dishes

Serving dishes is an important service step in which waiters deliver food to the table according to a specific procedure, and it is also one of the basic service skills that waiters must master. The order of serving dishes in Chinese cuisine varies depending on the specific cuisine, but generally, cold dishes are served first to accompany drinks, followed by hot dishes as needed, and finally soup, desserts, and fruit. All hot dishes are covered and then delivered to the restaurant or preparation area by a food runner, from where a waiter (or food runner) will bring them directly to the table.

(a) Placement of serving dishes

Leave space for serving openings in the work area, and serve dishes through these openings. Avoid serving dishes next to the host or honored guest, as this may disturb their conversation. Each new dish should be moved to the front of the host as a sign of respect. When serving hot dishes, serve them from between two seats at a 90-degree angle to each other, adhering to the principle of "left for serving, right for clearing." "Left for serving" means standing sideways on the left side of the seat and serving with your left hand; "right for clearing" means standing sideways on the right side of the seat and clearing the plate with your right hand.

Serving Chinese snacks is relatively simple, but avoid serving food near children and the elderly.

At Chinese banquets, the serving position is usually between the translator and the host, or it can be to the right of the co-host, which makes it easier for the translator and co-host to introduce the dishes to the guests.

(ii) Timing of serving dishes

When two-thirds of the cold dishes have been eaten, the first hot dish can be served. Hot dishes should generally be served within 30 minutes. Pay attention to the pace of serving; don't serve too slowly. Serve the next dish as soon as the previous one is almost finished to avoid empty plates and tables, which could embarrass the host. Don't serve too quickly either, as this will cause food to pile up. Leftovers from large platters should be transferred to smaller plates to make room for other dishes. After serving the third hot dish, proactively ask guests if they would like rice, steamed buns, dumplings, etc. Avoid asking guests "Do you want rice?" After the last dish, serve rice, noodles, and snacks; finally, serve dessert, fruit, and scented towels (cold towels in summer, hot towels in winter).

(III) Order of serving dishes

The typical order of serving Chinese dishes is: appetizer platter, stew; signature dish; seafood; fried and grilled items; stir-fries; desserts; rice, noodles, and dim sum; desserts and fruits; and hot tea. However, Cantonese cuisine is somewhat unique, serving soup before the main dishes.

The principles of serving Chinese dishes are: cold dishes before hot dishes, savory dishes before sweet dishes, dishes to accompany drinks before dishes to eat with rice, meat dishes before vegetarian dishes, flavorful dishes before regular dishes, dried dishes before soup dishes, and main dishes before desserts and fruits. For dishes with seasonings, the seasonings are served first, followed by the main dish.

(iv) Essentials of Serving Dishes

(1) When serving dishes, carefully check the table number and dish name to prevent serving the wrong dish.

(2) All operations must be performed using a tray.

(3) All dishes served must have condiments, and the name of each dish must be introduced.

(4) Before serving the shark fin or soup, a set of small soup bowls should be served first; when serving the soup, the soup should be served to the guests; after the guests drink the soup, a towel should be provided, a hot towel in winter and a cold towel in summer.

(5) Each time a dish is served, the name of the dish should be crossed off on the menu card of that table.

(6) When serving food, dishes should not be stacked on top of each other, and dishes on the table should not be stacked on top of each other.

(7) When serving food with shells, bring a towel and a handwashing cup.

(8) Any dish that needs to be placed on a liner must be placed on a liner.

(9) When serving food, avoid passing over the guests’ heads. Instead, greet the guests and serve the food through the gaps between them.

(10) For dishes on the medium plate or above, or juicy dishes such as tofu, a serving spoon should be added.

(11) Serving Methods for Several Special Dishes. Crispy Rice with Shrimp should be served as soon as possible. Pour the shrimp and broth immediately onto the crispy rice in the dish to maintain its heat and sizzling sound. For expensive soups like Bird's Nest in Clear Broth, the bird's nest should be served on an elegant plate. After serving, the server should add it to the clear broth in front of the guests. Special dishes that require wrapping and cooking, such as Beggar's Chicken, should be served first for the guests to see before being taken to the service counter for unwrapping and portioning. This preserves the dish's unique characteristics.

(V) Requirements for food presentation

The basic requirements for food presentation are to reflect artistic design, pay attention to the artistic effect of the table setting, respect the host and guests, and ensure convenient consumption.

(1) The typical arrangement of dishes is "one center, two straight lines, three triangles, four squares, and five plum blossoms." That is, when serving one dish, place it in the center of the table; when serving the second dish, place it side by side; when serving the third dish, arrange it in a triangle; when serving the fourth dish, arrange it in a square; and when serving the fifth dish, arrange it in a plum blossom shape. All dishes should be arranged symmetrically, emphasizing artistic presentation. Dishes with similar shapes and colors can be arranged symmetrically, alternating between the top and bottom or left and right sides of the table.

(2) According to traditional Chinese etiquette, one should pay attention to the rule that "chicken heads should not be presented, duck feet should not be presented, and fish spines should not be presented." That is, when serving dishes, chicken heads, duck feet, and fish spines should not be presented to the main guest, but rather chicken heads and duck feet should be presented to the right. When serving whole fish, the belly of the fish should be presented to the main guest, not the spine, because the belly of the fish has fewer bones and tastes better, and presenting it to the main guest shows respect.

(3) The dishes should be placed in the center. In Chinese banquets, dishes are generally placed from the center of the table outwards.

(4) Large art platters should be placed with their front facing the main position.