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Diner Avec Elegance

I remember having taken notes during that scenarios Hajjaj asked us to do in role-playing,
workshop. For this article, I searched for it and which was both informative and fun But with all
voila! There it was - The Dos and Don’ts at a this training, I realized that dining skills say a lot
dinner table with my handwritten note “simple about a person. And the lack of it can be more
solutions to common blunders.” On it, I had damaging than we would think, more so for
scribbled “Hajjaj.” He was the Trainer. He was people in high positions who frequently attend
French speaking, so I thought he was a formal dinners. Knowing the correct dining
Frenchman. etiquette gives you more confidence so you can

relax and enjoy social gatherings, no matter how
These are just a few of the basic dos and don’ts
that most of us already know. There were many formal the settings are.

DO NOT DO DO NOT DO

Make a fuss if you find a Either don’t eat the food,
Push food onto the fork with Use your knife to push food
your fingers or your bread onto the fork, or use your piece of foreign matter in or ask for another serving
fork to spear the food the food
Deposit the food, bone,
Pick your teeth with Use your tongue discreetly
Spit out a fish or chicken or other unwanted items
toothpick or tines of the fork to dislodge food from a
tooth, or excuse yourself to bone directly onto the on the tines of your fork
the powder room to take plate and put on the corner of
care of the problem. your plate
Leave spoon in a cup of Rest the spoon on the
Blow your nose on a napkin You may dab your nose coffee or tea beverage serving plate. If
discreetly if it bothers you,
then excuse yourself to the there is none, request a
small plate
powder room and solve the
problem Leave the teabag in a cup. Place on a saucer next to
the cup or ask for a small
Clean your teeth with your Go to the powder room – plate
napkin teeth are never cleaned in Blow on your cup of Let it stand until it cools
public
coffee, tea or soup if it is down to your liking.
Reach across the table for an Ask to have it passed to you too hot
item
Make a scene when Just say I am sorry and ask
Burp out loud even if it is not Cover your mouth with a accidents happen, like the butler or waiter for
considered bad manners in napkin to stifle the sound. If dropping your utensils or another spoon or fork/
some countries. burping continues, excuse spill a glass of water another glass of water.
yourself and do to the The waiter would know
powder room
what to do.
Say you dislike food that is Say nothing critical – decline Play with utensils when Put your utensils in the
being served with a smile and say, No, done ahead of others proper order when done
thank you eating.

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