How not to be a Dining Dufus.
The most awkward meal ever. The dinner was in Munich Germany; I could not read German but did know the word for ‘dumpling’: knodel (with accent marks). Who doesn’t love dumplings? I ordered knodel. Time passed, the waiter brought 2 grapefruit sized beige balls. I started uncontrollably laughing; German diners looked at me with shock. Clearly I did not know German knodel.
We were 3 ladies on a Women’s Travel Group tour. In the Tokyo Airport, we noticed a couple enjoying what looked like delicious pasta. After all the healthy Asian food, we were ready for carbs. We ordered by pointing. The “pasta” was cold, the ingredients including a hidden egg were raw. As we say in French: Quelle surprise!
How do you order in other cultures?
The easy but time consuming way is to translate menus on your phone. That involves a lot of typing and waiting. Second, you can ask for the English language menu. Good luck. For instance, in Mexico, ‘divorced’ eggs are a common breakfast item. These are not eggs yelling at each other. They are fried eggs, covered half in red sauce and half in green sauce. In Cuba, ropa vieja literally means ‘old clothes’ but as a culinary dish in Havana, is delicious garlicky shredded beef. More confusing is that some English items can be in French on menus: in the UK rocket is arugula and aubergine is eggplant. In London order a napkin, you are ordering a diaper. A napkin in the UK is a serviette as in French.
A third option is consider writing down some of the foods you want to taste on your trip. Look them up, keep the names and show the paper to the waiter.
Some other tips:
—-Eat when locals eat; that way, you are not sitting in an empty restaurant.
—-If it looks good, ask table neighbors what they are eating. Then translate it
—-Use utensils as the locals do. As told to Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman, watch others. Some utensils are unforgiving; ie. an asparagus holder. You will be odd, picking up pizza slices; pizza is eaten with a knife and fork in Europe.
—-Some dishes will be bigger than you expect; ie in the Netherlands and Northern Europe, be prepared for huge servings. In Mexico servings are also generous, our group once ordered the broiled fish specialty of a Mexico City star chef. As a last second question, we asked how big was the fish? We reduced our order from 3 fishes to 1. One $25 fish fed us all.
—-American sandwiches ar gargantuan. Some sandwiches overseas might be tiny; with a single sliver of cheese or meat. Some will be open; do you hand manage them or use a knife and fork?
—The order or courses is different. Salad comes usually before the main course and after the first. Pretty Woman learned that also. In Europe coffee comes after dessert. One does not order it as a meal beverage.
—- Tipping might not be expected overseas. If the bill says anything like ‘service inclus’, no tip needed. Ask the wait staff; every waiter in the world knows the word “service” If unsure, survey the others eating near you.
—- Overseas diners are relaxed and take their time more than we do. The waiter will not bring the bill until you ask for it.
Dining tips from The Women’s Travel Group, award winning small group tours for women. Many meals are included on our tours so relax.
Call us for more information on upcoming tours: 646 309 5607
