Chinese Dining Etiquette 101

From tea protocols to who picks up the tab: a guide to the why, what and how of high-end Chinese dining.

Over the past century, Chinese cuisine has established itself as one of the world’s favourite food groups. While Chinese food in Singapore is frequently enjoyed in casual settings – think hawker centres, coffee shops, family kitchens and zi char stalls serving home-style Chinese dishes – the cuisine is equally at-home in high-end dining rooms such as Yan Ting at The St. Regis Singapore, and The Ritz-Carlton Millenia’s Summer Pavilion. (Summer Pavilion was the first Chinese restaurant in a Singaporean hotel to be awarded a Michelin star and has maintained its Michelin rating since 2016.) Dining at these establishments is an experience to savour with the setting, service and cooking a cut above: this cheat sheet shows you how to make the most of any visit to a top Chinese restaurant. 

The menu 

Similar to a Japanese omakase, a Chinese banquet is a set-format meal starring appetisers, soup, main courses, rice, noodles and dessert served in that order. (Traditionally, rice was served at the end of the meal as a sign of the host’s generosity: serving it earlier in the meal suggested the host wanted guests to fill up on cheap starch.) Although banquets often feature a restaurant’s best dishes and specialties, many diners like to order à la carte. Start with appetisers: cold vegetable dishes such as smacked cucumbers or tofu skin salad are good options and dumplings make most people happy. If your group likes soup, order it at the same time as your appetisers, then start thinking about the mains, keeping in mind the method of cooking and assembling a balanced order: you don’t want an all-fried or all-seafood meal, for instance. When ordering mains, including a steamed dish (a whole fish is a staple), a braised dish and a vegetable dish ensure guests have different textures to enjoy. 

The meal

When the food is served, only take a small amount at a time. It is also considered polite to only take the food directly in front of you rather than reaching across the platter to pick a preferred morsel or cut. Remember that Singapore is a multicultural country: if you are dining with Muslim or Indian guests, pass dishes to them with your right hand only. There are also customs to be mindful of with individual dishes: when eating whole steamed fish, for example, it’s considered bad luck to flip over the fish to eat the bottom fillet. Instead, carefully lift off the backbone to continue dining.

The cutlery 

A few pointers, as it were, on the use of chopsticks; never stick chopsticks upright into your rice bowl as this symbolises burning sticks of incense for the deceased. Banging or waving your implements in the air is also a no-no. At higher end restaurants, diners will have their own chopsticks to eat with and each dish will be accompanied by a pair of “communal” chopsticks, if appropriate, to serve yourself. In addition, guests may find a full set of Western cutlery: this is to accommodate various levels of chopstick ability as well as progressive dishes. Summer Pavilion’s braised king scallop with stuffed eggplant, for example, is a dish eaten with a knife and fork.

The tea

Always pour tea for others, especially those more senior than you. If someone pours you tea, it is acceptable to thank them by tapping your knuckles on the table rather than interrupting conversation. (This custom is believed to have originated in the Qing Dynasty when the disguised Emperor poured tea for his servant who tapped the table to convey silent gratitude.) When you run out of tea, leave the lid of the teapot open and balance the lid on the pot’s handle to signal to the waitstaff that you need a top-up: another practice believed to have originated in the Qing Dynasty. 

The bill

In Chinese culture, picking up the tab for dinner is considered a privilege and people often argue over who gets this honour. Traditionally, eaters don’t split cheques and it’s bad manners to only offer to pay for what you ordered during a group meal. Generally speaking, the organiser of the meal pays, however, age and seniority may trump this. Since there is often a 10 percent service charge added to bills, tipping is also not needed in Singapore.