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“Hey! that’s my plate you’re taking!”

By Nedra Wickremesinghe
Q. I was at a formal dinner, and when I was halfway through the meal, I paused to talk to my neighbour. When I turned to start eating again, my plate had been removed. Fortunately the waiter was just behind me so I asked him to put the plate back on the table. He had assumed that I had finished eating and therefore, without asking me had removed my plate. May I know what the correct procedure is in this case, as I do not want to give the wrong signal and be deprived of a good meal.

A. The way you place your cutlery gives the waiter the signal whether you have finished your meal or not. When you have finished your meal, your fork and knife should be placed together, the prongs of the fork upward and the blade of the knife facing inward. This can be placed straight in front of you or on the side of the plate (not on the table!) When you place your cutlery thus, it is an indication for the waiter to clear your plate.

If you are in the midst of eating and you want to drink, then your fork and knife should be placed apart (inverted v). Then a knowledgeable waiter will not remove your plate. Sometimes the waiters are in a hurry to remove your plate. It is not a bad idea to inform a hovering waiter that you want to enjoy the meal!

Q. How do you eat a ‘chicken in a basket’ at a restaurant? What is the correct way to eat a dinner roll?

A. Going on a date or want to make the right impression? Then avoid ordering finger-licking food! ‘Chicken in a basket’ is found in most menus and the only way you can enjoy this is by using your fingers. The dinner roll or the bun is to be eaten with the soup. Break a small piece at a time with your fingers, dab some butter on it and eat it. Cutting it into half or biting into it is considered impolite.

Q. I would like to know who picks up the cheque at dinner when we are travelling as colleagues?

A. Find out about your company policy on reimbursement. Check this out with your accounts department; they’ll tell you the regulations regarding who will be reimbursed for what. When you travel, whoever picks up the cheque, the company pays the bill. But there’s a protocol to follow.

1) If both travellers are of equal rank they may split the bill. Or they come to an understanding that each pick up cheques on alternate days.

2) When a senior travels with a lower-level executive, the senior is expected to pay. But if the amount is small, the junior can say, "I'll get it," and do so.

Q. I eat fast. This becomes a problem as I’m left staring at the plate while my friends are still eating. What do I do?

A. When you sit down to a meal with a group of people, you are expected to keep pace with the company you are in. Learn to eat slowly. If you still finish early, you can keep sipping the wine or water and keep talking and amuse them with your conversation while waiting for them to finish.

Q. Once, when I was dining with my spouse at a quiet restaurant, there was a commotion at the next table. It appeared that two male diners were at each other’s throats over the dinner bill. This scene was rather distracting. How does one overcome a situation like that?

A. The person who invites pays the bill. And if the guest happens to be in a generous mood, he may overrule the host, and decide to pick up the tab. The trouble begins only at this point where the host is adamant to pay. In such a case the guest must give in. The next time to avoid any such scenes, the host when making the table reservation, must make it clear with the restaurant manager about the payment, and make arrangements to pay up discreetly instead of having the bill sent to the table.

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