Were I to eat at a Chinese restaurant in the heart of Chinatown, NYC,
i am sure that if I used regular US table manners, my hosts would be
unsurprised and uninsulted.  No one would mind.

But it might be extra-special to use some proper Chinese etiquette to
honor my hosts.  What's a proper way?

A great answer would address all of the following:
I hear stories of sitting up straight, bringing my personal bowl of
rice near my chin, and eating mostly rice with the occasional bite of
something extra (say, seared chicken with sauce) from communal plates
in the center.  But is that true?  Is the urban legend stating that
it's polite to burp after a fine meal true?  Am I politer by eating
everything on the plate, or leaving a little behind to show that I'm
full?  Speaking in English, how could I compliment the chef or convey
my discontent in the most polite way?  How familiar should I be with
waitstaff?  I'm told that it's polite for waitstaff to remain in view
as they watch me eat, so that should I need anything, I can signal. 
Is that true?  How do I politely ask for water refills?

---

Request for Question Clarification by easterangel-ga on 11 Apr 2005 15:28 PDT

Hi!

I was able to find different websites discussing chinese dining
etiquette. But the discussions are not really specific to the
questions you asked above.

Will this be ok as an answer?

Thanks!

---

Clarification of Question by katten-ga on 13 Apr 2005 07:48 PDT

If you can also find the things I asked for, then OK - but otherwise,
I have spent some time researching this myself and these are the
questions I am still unsure about.

---

Request for Question Clarification by czh-ga on 13 Apr 2005 12:04 PDT

Hello katten-ga,

Here is a link for learning about Asian table ettiquette that will
help with your other question about Japanese table manners as well.

http://www.tgmag.ca/ap/win3_e.html

Is this sufficient information? Is this heading in the right
direction? Are you interested in Chinese table manners in the as
observed by Chinese in the US or as a visitor to China? I look forward
to your clarification.

~ czh ~

Hello katten-ga,

This was a very interesting and enjoyable research project. The
Chinese take food and dining very seriously and have a very long
history that led to current etiquette practices. I?ve collected a
variety of resources that cover most of the questions you asked. The
links relating to cultural background should give you many insights
that directly relate to your goal of being a gracious guest by
exhibiting knowledge of Chinese etiquette. The links I?ve collected
regarding guest behavior will spell out specific answers to your list
of questions. Please don?t hesitate to ask for clarification if any of
this is confusing.

Bon Appétit for your Chinese feast.

~ czh ~


======================================
CULTURAL BACKGROUND FOR CHINESE DINING
======================================

http://www.chinatoday.com.cn/English/e2004/e200409/p58.htm
Traditional Dining Etiquette 

***** This side provides a historical perspective on Chinese table manners.

-------------------------------------------------


http://www.globalgourmet.com/destinations/hongkong/
HONG KONG -- The Guest Gets the Best
 -- Chinese Dining: Beliefs and Etiquette
 -- The Guest Gets the Best
 -- Seating & Dining Customs
 -- Toothpicks & Chopsticks
 -- Chinese Cuisines
 -- Hong Kong's Teatime Traditions
 -- Tea & Teahouses
 -- Dining in Dim Sum Restaurants
 -- Finger Tapping
 -- Dim Sum Dishes

***** Be sure to read all of the articles to get a comprehensive
overview of Chinese dining rules and practices.

-------------------------------------------------


http://www.einaudi.cornell.edu/curriculum/monkey/food/index.asp?grade=6
Chinese Food - 6th grade curriculum

Background Information
1.	Monkey king and the symbolism of food in the story
2.	Yin and Yang in Chinese cooking
3.	The Five Elements Theory of Chinese cooking
4.	Eight Regional Variations
5.	Medicinal Cuisine
6.	Symbolism in Chinese food
7.	Using chopsticks and table manners

***** All of the topics might be interesting to you not just the one
on using chopsticks and table manners.

-------------------------------------------------


http://www.mtholyoke.edu/courses/jlipman/chifanlemeiyou.htm
Chifanle meiyou? -- "Have you eaten?"

***** This is an interesting discussion of Chinese food culture and
explains the reasoning for some of the table etiquette issues you
asked about.



==========================
ETIQUETTE RULES FOR GUESTS
==========================

http://www.chinatown-online.co.uk/pages/food/etiquette.html
Chinese Table Etiquette

***** This is an excellent summary of Chinese restaurant behavioral
guidelines and answers many of your questions.

-------------------------------------------------


http://www.nychinatown.com/chinese_table_manners(1).htM
Chinese Table Manners  

***** This is a short article with some good pointers.

-------------------------------------------------


http://www.winona.edu/winonan/f2003/11-12/Alternate.htm
Alternate eating habits found in Chinese culture

***** This article discusses the serving of food and appropriate guest behavior.

-------------------------------------------------


http://bbs.chinadaily.com.cn/forumpost.shtml?toppid=91133 
Is there such a thing as table manners in China ?

***** This is a posting on a discussion forum with lots of answers
that give you insights into Chinese table manners.

-------------------------------------------------


http://www.losaltosrotary.org/Rotators2002/feb72002.html
Differences in manners between East and West

3. Chinese table manners allow for loud slurping of hot soup as a sign
that it's delicious. In the U.S., slurping is considered vulgar.

4. After dinner, Chinese are being polite and expressing their
satisfaction by a loud belch. Here, well, . . .

-------------------------------------------------


http://www.advancedetiquette.com/newsletter/feb05_issue.htm 
Dos and Taboos at a Chinese Dining Table

***** This is another recap of the basic rules of Chinese table etiquette.

-------------------------------------------------


http://www.travelchinaguide.com/intro/cuisine.htm
Table manners

Never try to turn a fish over and debone it yourself, since the
separation of the fish skeleton from the lower half of the flesh will
usually be performed by the host or a waiter. Superstitious people
will deem bad luck will ensue and a fishing boat will capsize if you
do so.




===============
SEARCH STRATEGY
===============

chinese "table etiquette" OR "table manners"

---

Clarification of Answer by czh-ga on 16 Apr 2005 11:55 PDT

Dear katten-ga,

Thank you very much for the tip but I?m disappointed in your rating.
I?ve reread your question and your one clarification of easterangel?s
question and I?m simply not seeing anything about ?I want a paragraph
on my demo question.? I don?t know what you mean by "demo."

You never responded to my clarification request but I took a chance on
answering your question because I thought all the material I found
gave you a complete answer. The links I provided gave either detailed
information about specific table etiquette issues you raised or set
out the general guidelines to observe when you want to honor your
Chinese hosts.

Of course, I would have been happy to respond to your further
clarification requests if you had not closed and rated the question.

I spent more hours on this than I intended because doing the research
was fun. I?m afraid I failed to communicate with you successfully so
I?m taking a pass on your Japanese dining question. I hope someone
else will be able to get you what you need.

I know you?ve asked many questions but it might be helpful to review
the Google Answers guidelines so you get better results the next time.

All the best.

~ czh ~

http://answers.google.com/answers/faq.html
http://answers.google.com/answers/pricing.html

Thanks for the good answer.  It'll help a lot!
If I had paid more, I would have expected you to answer my demo
questions in a short paragraph within the answer, but I didn't.

Don't thank your host in Japanese ;-)

I forgot to mention, chz-za, that I have a similar question out for
Japanese etiquette if you like.