From The Straits Times    |

Hostess with the mostest
Just because you’re not at a fancy restaurant doesn’t mean you can’t have a five-star dinner at home. Impress your dinner guests with these tips from dining etiquette specialist Angie Law Smith, chef and dining consultant from cooking school Palate Sensations, and Krisztina Pohl, interior design specialist at IKEA Singapore.

Table setting

Expert tips on table arrangement and dining etiquette. Image: Corbis

Arranging tableware
It is tradition that VIPs are always seated to the right of the host. Ladies are always served first, then men, and the host is served last. Handbags should not be on the table; it’s unhygienic. When serving and clearing dishes, make sure you’re on the right side of your guests so you don’t end up leaning over them.

Drinking utensils should be arranged from smallest to biggest from the outside in, starting with your water goblet, red wine glass and white wine glass. White wine is always served first.

Place glasses to the right of your guests and bread baskets to their left. This is to prevent them from accidentally sipping from someone else’s glass. When pouring wine, don’t pour beyond more than half; it’s heavy to lift and doesn’t look elegant.

Mind your manners
Good manners don’t stop at the party host. As a guest, be equally mindful of your Ps and Qs. When passing the salt and pepper – they always go together – you should never use it between its journey to the designated guest; it’s extremely rude to do so. Hold your wine glasses by the stem so that you don’t warm up the wine.

Likewise, when eating, move from the outer utensils inwards. Should you wish to take a break from your meal to converse, simply lay down your utensils in a criss-cross fashion. When you’re done, lay them both at the side of the dish, approximately at a four o’clock mark.

What’s a dinner party without champagne? As much as you’d like to pop champagne for the occasion, refrain from doing so. A better way would be to gently remove the cork.

Three Dinner Party No-nos

  1. Never start on your food before everyone gets served.
  2. Wait for your host to make a toast before you enjoy your wine.
  3. Don’t drain your glass – it’s rude to do so. Instead, sip and savour.