A Surprise Treat

Table D' Hote

Today we had an invitation to visit the hospitality and culinary department of a private university in town.

Host Norsham Bin Omar, an experienced captain in culinary skills gave us a course on how to behave if we were invited to a meal with dignitaries all around us ! Oh teachers ! We love the norm and find much discomfort when we are out of orientation.

First we must understand and use the appropriate cutlery for a Western Set Menu of 5 courses ; forks on the left and spoons and knives on the right. The bigger set is for the main course whereas the smaller one is for periphery courses.

Yea the students marched in using the 'dragon system' ( circular ) and starting serving as elegantly as they could.

Using the American way, she served from the right.

Our first course; the appetiser. Since the occasion was supposed to be very formal, I wondered how I should squeeze the lime juice. I did not dare to ask but finally someone bolder asked the captain how to do it. Guess what ? We could use our fingers ! On a scale of 10 I gauge the first course at 6.

See, I was not too sure on how to get the juice out without causing a mess. Hey, Norsham next told us that after the appetiser we are not to be too noisy; that would be rude. Also, we should not try to apply lipstick after the meal !

Next he told us both ladies and gentlemen to use the napkin to wipe our lips with the corners and not right across the mouth ! Hahaha...some of us already wiped the wrong way.

A participant asked if there is a particular way to hold the goblet glass and he reiterated that just with the five fingers ... and make sure we don't drop it.

The appetiser done and they started to place the bread before us. Why the bread now? How come not earlier, we asked? Oh he told us that it was good to serve because it is the safest moment when eating the dry appetiser. Should it be served after we were given the soup it might just disturb the soupy course if there is a spill.

The cream of mushroom soup was the second course. Yummy warm and tasty; I believe it was ground fresh mushroom ; really good on the scale of 9. Perfect one.

Oh yea when scooping the soup, make sure you scoop outwards and drink carefully. The bread is to be taken with the butter separately; never ever soak the bread in the soup. I always do it with my favourite ox-tail soup !

Yes, don't soak your bread; no style we were told.

But this gentleman in front of me kept forgetting the rule and even said he doesn't know how to take the bread without soaking it in the soup ! Hehehehhe

When we have finished with soup, we were asked to place the spoon beside the bowl to indicate that we are done. That's an easy one.

Nest came the third and main course ... pan fried chicken, potato wedges, sauted vegetables with black pepper sauce. Before anything else we have to make sure the plate was orientated precisely. We were told not to be noisy with the cutlery and eat with our mouths closed !

The sauted vegetables were too well done !

The black pepper sauce was the saviour of the day ! Oh yes, we were told not to ask for chilli sauce, tomato sauce or any other sauce except that which was served ! It will be an insult to the chef; especially Italian Chefs.

When done, be neat and place the cutlery appropriately; now they will remove all main cutlery as the main course has been served. It was on a scale of 6.

The fourth course; the dessert. Bread Butter Pudding with fruit cocktail. It was so 'eggy' I could not take it in.

That's about all I could digest. I have yet to acquire the taste; so the scale is at 4.

The final course to wrap up the meal ; coffee or tea.

Don't use the spoon to taste the beverage. Use a dry spoon to scoop the sugar. Remove the spoon before drinking. Don't drink when you are chewing something.

Coffee was too lukewarm and it did not give that oomp!

So at a scale of 4 too.

The whole meal took us about an hour and half; protocol plus manners and everything .

We were told to leave the table lifting ourselves from the right and to place the napkin neatly.

Great lessons for the day.

Great sharing to be done with those interested in the culinary course.

But I really did not enjoy such formality.

I wish to do things in the natural way; drinking soup from the bowl adds flavour; scooping the soup in an outward manner before it reaches the mouth is tedious. I may give up.

But protocol is protocol; glad I am a simple ordinary person with little engagement with the royal and rich !

But it was indeed a good experience.