How to order and enjoy chinese food

Order to Share

Eating is about a shared experience between friends and family. Unlike many western cuisine styles where a person will order his or her particular dish such as a steak or pasta, the Chinese philosophy is to have a few dishes in the centre of the table which everyone shares.

By doing this you get to taste a much wider range of dishes and it all contributes to the overall eating out with friends experience.

However, it is considered good manners to use the serving spoons only when picking up from the plates.

Dont mix the flavours

The beauty of Chinese cuisine is the many, many flavours available. There are sharp tangy flavours such as Kung Po Sauce, to spicy flavours like Chilli and Black Bean. Some flavours such as Garlic are much stronger than more delicate flavours like Steamed Ginger. All are used differently depending on the type of meat or vegtable to be cooked.

It is important that to appreciate each individual flavour several dishes are not mixed together. Traditionally Chinese people will fill their bowl with rice or noodle and then pick up a single spoon of a particular dish to enjoy. Once that is finished they will pick up another spoon from a different dish, that way none of the flavours get mixed together.

No Knife

"The honorable and upright man keeps well away from the kitchen. And he allows no knives on his table."

Chopsticks are the traditional way of eating in China and have been used for centuries. All Chinese dishes are prepared to be either in bite size pieces or cooked to perfection to be soft enough that no knife is needed. That is why the Bowl and Chopsticks are perfect! Individual pieces can be picked up by a pair of chopsticks and rice should be scooped up from the bowl. If you are a novice to chopsticks just ask a member of our team to show you how and you'll be an expert in no time.