THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF FOOD ETIQUETTE OF THE STAFF. Review on Food Etiquettes at a Restauarant

My manners are excellent when I dine out. I never eat with my elbows on the table, light a cigarette if the people around me are still eating, (and it's allowed to smoke there) and I never burp or belch even when it's polite to do, (i.e in China). I find in many restaurant's it is the staff that needs the training in'etiquette'.

THIS IS MY EXAMPLE OF A RESTAURANT THAT HAS TRAINED THEIR STAFF VERY WELL:

When I was in Bali we walked over to the Grand Hyatt Hotel one night. It is on Nusa Dua Beach. We heard that they had an excellent Restaurant there.

We ate at the WATER COURT. What a gorgeous setting it is a replica of an old Water Palace. . This means the ceiling are high and air. It has the Ocean on one side and a lovely Garden on the other.

We had made reservations so we were seated immediately. Each of us sat in a high-backed bamboo chair with comfy pillows on the seat and the back.

THE SERVICE:

Fresh bottled water was waiting in an ice bucket by our table. The waiter held my seat for me, took my napkin and placed it on my lap and then handed us our menus. He asked if we wanted a moment to think about drinks. We knew what we wanted so I ordered a Beefeater Martini and my Husband had a Scotch. We also ordered a red wine to drink during dinner.

While we waited for our drinks I saw the restaurant was spotless. There was a white tablecloth on the table with a bowl of pink baby roses in a bowl in the middle of the table. Our drinks arrived then with a bowl of salted nuts. He uncorked the red wine and placed it in another bucket, (with no ice), because red wine needs to ‘breath’ for a while and should never be chilled.

As we sipped our drinks we watched the sun go down. The sky went from pink to purple and then there was only the night sky with the stars popping out.

We were not rushed to order our meal and waved the waiter over when we were ready. I dislike it when a waiter hovers over you and keeps coming back again and again to ask if you are ready to order.

My Husband ordered fresh bass with a lemon sauce. I had the grilled tiger prawns. I must admit we waited about fifteen minutes until our meals arrived. We didn't mind it because to me that means they are cooking the orders after you order them and not preparing them before hand.

The food arrived on a steaming hot plate. My Husband had his French fried potatoes and a mixture of baby vegetables, (corn, carrots and eggplant). I had my prawns with rice and on the plate was a vegetarian chow mien. There was a single hibiscus on each plate.

Grump, (my Husband who I use to call'Teddy Bear' until we retired and then he became like a'Grump Old Man' like the ones in the movie), eats faster than I do. In many places they remove the plate as soon as a person finishes eating. I thought it was very nice that the waiter never removed the plates until I was finished as well. The only time the waiter came near our table was to pour more water and wine. He never asked us the annoying question, 'How is your meal'.

We were then presented with a small dessert menu. Both of us were quite full so we ordered a chocolate cake with caramel icing. My Husband ordered a brandy and I had some aged port. When I taste the cake I though I had'died and gone to heaven' it was so delicious.

My Husband had to ask for the check and that was very polite as in most places in North America it arrives with your dessert.

THE BATHROOM:

I decided to go to the'loo' before we went back to our hotel. As I walk through the bathroom door I could smell the roses. There were bowls of pink roses every where. The bathroom was spotless, (you can always tell if the kitchen is clean by the way the bathroom is kept).

THE GIFTS:

As we left the restaurant we were presented with a hand carve rose wood box with the initial'L' hand painted in gold. They also offer my Husband a cigar, (I guess they saw he had one in his jacket pocket.

TIPPING:

We always leave a tip even in Countries that tipping is not allowed.

SOME THOUGHTS:

If you are in Bali and staying on the Nusa Dua Beach and you want to spend and evening of fine dinning I hope you'll try the WATER HOUSE. I must tell you it isn't cheap but we don't mind paying for excellent food. We do mind paying high prices if the food is terrible.

I know you will enjoy it because the staff has been trained

in the proper way to serve you. That's what I call good

etiquette and you might call this a RESTAURANT REVIEW! .)

©LL