Buzz
However, for this very reason, the etiquettes of dining, the refinement, and the proper ways of eating the popular Japanese dishes of the past might no longer be overlooked. It's essential to pay more attention now, unless you want your colleagues, friends, partners, etc., to consider you uncouth and lacking in understanding.
Here are 6 dining etiquettes on the Japanese dining table that are commonly misunderstood, as shared by Mishagi's manager, a famous Japanese restaurant at 97 Lo Duc. Take note and use them when needed!
Mistake 1: Mixing food with rice, bowing the head, and using the hand to scoop when eating
If you're dining with a Japanese partner or someone who has lived in Japan for a long time, never follow the habit of Vietnamese people: Mixing food with rice and using the bowl to bring rice to the mouth.
According to Japanese dining etiquette, except for the prepared ingredients like dried fish and seaweed, it is not permitted to place other types of food on the rice in the bowl.
Avoid using hands to pick up food
While eating, use your hand to support the base of the bowl, place it at chest level, and use chopsticks to scoop small portions of rice into your mouth, avoiding leaning the bowl and rice.
Using hands to pick up food is also considered an unsophisticated gesture. Instead, use the provided plate to pick up, as every Japanese restaurant includes a plate with your meal, rather than using it... as a bone holder, as many people still do.
Mistake 2: Mixing wasabi into soy sauce and dipping the sauce for an extended period or repeatedly flipping it for absorption
Most of us, when dining out, often mix wasabi into soy sauce and dip sushi or sashimi. However, the Japanese strongly disapprove of this practice.
Avoid mixing wasabi into the dipping sauce
To eat in the correct manner and avoid losing face in front of fellow diners, take a small amount of wasabi, apply it to the sushi or sashimi piece, then roll it back up. Dip the surface of the piece without letting the wasabi blend into the soy sauce. This way, the flavor remains pure, undiluted, and not mixed with various other tastes.
For those who enjoy savory dishes, avoid soaking your meat or sushi repeatedly in soy sauce or flipping it back and forth. At Mishagi, simply ask the server for a bowl of richer dipping sauce.
Mistake 3: Taking small bites
Taking small bites in front of the Japanese is a strict taboo, highly impolite. Never do this when dining at a Japanese restaurant. The proper way is to use chopsticks to cut food into bite-sized pieces.
Avoid taking small bites of sushi
When dining at Mishaghi, each table is attended by two servers at both ends. They are attentive and skillfully pre-cut challenging dishes like squid, octopus, making the dining experience more convenient. The sushi presented is always bite-sized, perfect for one mouthful.
For sushi and sashimi – dishes that should be consumed in one bite, if faced with an oversized portion, don't hesitate to ask the kitchen to resize it!
Mistake 4: Dipping the entire tempura shrimp into the sauce bowl
The correct way to eat tempura shrimp is to use chopsticks to break it into bite-sized pieces before dipping.
Do not dip the entire shrimp tempura like the left image.
One thing I appreciate when dining at Mishagi is having the server right beside you. You can ask them to 'handle' this shrimp into multiple portions, very convenient! If you're dining in a place without a standing table-side service, when dividing, be careful not to let crispy tempura bits fly off the table!
Mistake 5: Using hands to separate food from skewers
To elegantly separate food from skewers, use chopsticks. Never let the pointed end of the skewer point towards the person opposite you. So, after removing the food, stack the skewers horizontally on the plate!
Mistake 6: Resting chopsticks on the rice bowl
If you observe, in any Japanese restaurant, there is a chopstick rest placed on your right side. However, many Vietnamese people, out of habit, tend to rest their chopsticks directly on the rice bowl.
When dining on Japanese cuisine during important occasions, forget this habit. Instead, use the chopstick rest in front of you to avoid being perceived as impolite!
Use your chopstick rest
These are common mistakes that can make you lose face at a Japanese feast and many people often fall into them. To avoid such troublesome errors, when inviting a business partner for a meal, choose high-quality Japanese restaurants with attentive and careful service, like Mishagi, to minimize any unnecessary mishaps.
Opt for professional restaurants with well-trained staff like Mishagi at 97 Lo Duc to avoid situations where you don't know where to hide your face!
Take a few minutes to remember these simple rules, and using them won't be difficult at all, right? Wish you all the confidence to shine at banquets with your refined and proper manners!
>>> Check out the discounts up to 31% off + Free beer/soft drink this month at Mishagi
Phuong Lan.
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