What is the usual process of a banquet？

Banquet menus are quite different in composition from the daily meal at home.A standard banquet consists of four to six cold dishes，eight main dishes，one or two showpieces（such as a whole fish or chicken），along with soup，rice，pastries and fruit.

Cold dishes are normally served before the main dishes.Any number of cold-dish components may be combined into a single elaborate dish，beautifully shaped like a butterfly，phoenix，dragon，or a basket of flowers.The visual appeal is intended，however，to stimulate the appetite.

Each of the main dishes contains a different kind of food，some with meat or fish，some without.Rice or noodles are served last.Even at the end of a banquet，Chinese habitually eat a small bowl of rice or noodles.

How are the guests and host seated for a formal dinner？

The host and chief guest are usually seated on opposite sides of the table，facing each other.The chief guest is seated at the head of the room，facing the door；the host with his or her back to the door.In most restaurant arrangements，the host is also closest to the door thus in a better position to give orders to the waiters as they come and go. other guests are seated to the left and right of the chief guest in descending order of rank or importance.This means that the two lowest ranking members in the party may end up seated to the immediate right and left of the host.This arrangement is just opposite of what Westerners might expect.

The thinking behind the Chinese-style seating arrangement is simple and logical.

It assures that the host will have a direct view of the main guests and only slightly oblique views of other guests of importance.

hancheng

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