Quote:
Originally Posted by TalnSG
I cannot imagine why you would think that an American restaurant staff would fail to notice or care about the manners of those dining in their establishment. Unless its a fast food place where most customers take their food elsewhere, not only are the staff going to notice, but so will the other patrons. And while the staff may be polite, those at the neighboring tables will not hide their astonished looks or restrain from whispering comments across their own table.
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You`re kidding, right?
Obviously, if food is being spilled, or if it`s being eaten with absolutely horrific manners (general, not Japanese) - yes, I`m sure they`ll notice. As the original poster is actually concerned about eating properly, I very much doubt this is the case.
But you completely and totally fail to take into account some VERY important factors. This is a restaurant in the US. Last time I knew, the greater part of the US population does NOT know Japanese eating customs. Now, as the restaurant in question is obviously frequented by citizens of the country it is situated in, and is likely staffed by the same... NO ONE is going to be shocked or even NOTICE someone eating out of Japanese style. If the staff actually IS Japanese (a major rarity) there is only a slim chance they`ll notice if you are eating "properly".
I think it is an incredible waste to let the fear of messing up eating customs get in the way of actually enjoying the food. If you`re in Japan, yes, it`s an issue. But if you are in the US, where most people don`t know the customs to begin with... It simply
does not matter.