Learning Sushi Etiquette

Are you planning to dine at a Japanese restaurant for Sushi? There is a certain sushi etiquette one should follow before dining. Keep in mind that these are merely general guidelines, and patrons shouldn’t concern themselves too much with adhering by these tips exactly; being respectful of the food and gracious to the staff is more than enough to ensure an excellent sushi dining experience.

* Upon arrival, the hostess will usually ask if you prefer dining at the sushi bar or at a regular table. The sushi bar is usually left for guests who enjoy watching the sushi preparation or to interact with the chef. If you don’t care for either of these, simply request a table.

* If you sit at the bar, only order sushi from the chef. Other items such as soup or non sushi dishes should be taken from your server.

* You will usually not be the only guest your sushi chef needs to cater to. Be respectful of this, and wait to place your order with him if you see that he is preoccupied with preparing another party’s dishes.

* Before dining, the server will generally hand you a warm washcloth with which you use to clean your hands. After this, neatly place the cloth back on the tray it was served on.

* Traditionally, it is acceptable to eat nigiri (rice topped with fish or any other topping) with your hands, but sashimi (fish only) should be handled with chopsticks.

* When eating nigiri, most people will dip the rice into the soy sauce, but it should actually be the other way around.

Dip the fish instead, so as to prevent too much soy sauce absorption, which doesn’t complement the taste of the nigiri. Also, dipping the rice in first causes pieces of rice to fall into the dish, making a mess.
* Nigiri sushi should be eaten in one bite.

* If the server doesn’t provide you with a spoon for your soup, don’t ask for one. Simply pick the bowl up and sip the soup with your mouth. Use your chopsticks to pick up any pieces that may be in the broth.

* Slivers of ginger are usually served on the same dish as wasabi. These pieces are used to cleanse the palate, and should be eaten between bites of sushi, never with them.

* Finally, thank you sushi chef when the meal is over. You will usually find a tip jar at the counter, as chefs shouldn’t handle money with the same hands they prepare your meal with.

Remember that your sushi chef puts a lot of time and effort into ensuring your meal is of the finest quality. Take the time to enjoy the beauty and flavors of your sushi; this is not a meal you quickly rush through. Make sure you taste all the delicate flavors of the different fish and don’t overpower the taste with soy sauce.

Bring Your Date For Italian Food

Want a romantic night out on the town? A fine Italian food restaurant is a safe bet. Italian food has always been romantic and here are some tips to picking a great restaurant.

It's important to pick a place that serves authentic Italian food; otherwise your date will come off looking like a cheap imitation of the real thing. How do you know what's authentic? Simply look at the menu; if you understand it, it's not authentic enough. You're looking for more Italian food than just spaghetti and pizza. You might also want to talk to some people who work at the restaurant.

If you would really like an Italian experience then it would also be great if the people in the restaurant are Italian than American. When all seems to be American then just expect that the food that you are going to eat is also more of the American style than Italian.

As soon as you have discovered where the best place for having an Italian dinner is then you are off to the next step tip. Understand the Italian menu and know how to speak it properly. Do not ever miss a point by ordering a food that you do not like in that restaurant. Think about the best food that you are going to order.

After that, be aware of what kind of Italian food your date would like to eat or you can suggest from the list of the menu and be sure that you know how to speak them correctly. If the waiter comes to take your order then you would have no problem telling them what you like and your date would surely be pleased having you as a date.

The Italian dish that you are going to order would not be perfect without paring them with wine. All Italian restaurants should know that and should have a line of different wines in their counter. This could add up for your romantic ambiance. Find out which wine would be perfect for the dish that you would order.

If you have to ask the waiters then do not hesitate. It is part of their job to answer your inquiries but remember that they would also be choosing the more expensive wine. Remember that Italian food is most likely enjoyed with wine so think about having a good food and a good wine that would be perfect for your budget.

The Italian food and wine are already settled right now so following that would be the ambience of the restaurant. Actually, there are two kinds of which you can choose from. First is the traditional one which promotes a conventional fine dining restaurant with low lights and enchanting song in the background. This could be the best choice but sometimes those that serve Italian food are found in small family owned restaurants with a cozy feeling about it. This could also give an intimate atmosphere provided that there is no too much noise in the room.

It would be a great experience for you and your date aside from the good food and good wine. If there are no candles and flowers on the table you can take the move of bringing your own. Thus, making it different from the other plus will impress your date so much. This could add more romantic feeling in your date night.

If you go along with the guidelines above then you would surely have 100% success with your date and feel good about yourself. Set everything up and you are way to go.