Chapter 27 The knowledge of "waiter"

Nowadays, from the most high-end restaurants and restaurants to ordinary individual restaurants, the service staff in the stores are almost all young women, so they are all addressed as "Miss".And the operators of restaurants and restaurants also spend a lot of effort in selecting service girls, and spend money on making clothes, asking the teachers to rehearse their techniques, body, eyes and steps, and the girls in big restaurants can even respond freely in English.The attitude is also excellent, always smiling and polite.It can be said that the phenomenon of sarcasm, sarcasm, and even arguing with customers during the "Cultural Revolution" has basically disappeared, which also reflects the continuous improvement of the civilization level of our society.

In ancient times, waiters in tea, wine, and restaurants were often called doctors. This title is often seen in Song and Yuan scripts. Many people think it originated from the Northern Song Dynasty. Records refer specifically to waiters in teahouses, restaurants and restaurants.In the Ming Dynasty, it was often called "Xiaoer", so on the opera stage, "Xiaoer" became a general term for service personnel in inns, restaurants, teahouses, and restaurants.Sister Li Feng in "Melon Town" and Chen Xiuying in "Iron Bow" are mostly born out of the needs of plot stories, or the special circumstances of small shops in mountain villages. In the actual life of feudal society, waitresses are extremely rare. of.In the Qing Dynasty, it was often called "Tang Guan". Originally, the word "Tang Guan" did not have a single person next to it, and it should be "Tang Guan". Man, also pronounced as Erhuayin, has become a "waiter".In the old Beijing, this profession and cooks were all attributed to "Qinxing".Waiters were also called "runners". Later, when customers and waiters were called face to face, they were often referred to as "buddy" or "teahouse".In the concessions of Shanghai and Tianjin, waiters in restaurants and western restaurants were also called Boy, which means boy, which is a pidgin appellation with a colonial color.After liberation, the relationship between people has undergone fundamental changes. The old address has become a historical relic. Everyone is addressed as "comrade", which appears to be equal and friendly.

In Cao Yu's "Peking Man", there is a large passage of Jiang Tai's lines. He brags to Mr. Yuan how delicious he is after drinking, saying that in all the restaurants in Beijing, "There is no shopkeeper I don't know well, and there is no account manager or waiter. I don't know..." Jiang Tai's line is not bragging. At that time in Beijing, there were only a few dozen famous restaurants. Whether it was a middle-class diner or a still-sustainable grandpa, it was not enough to meet this standard. It is difficult, and for today's Beijing, even if you are a millionaire, it is difficult to do it.

The restaurant in the old days can be divided into two parts: the kitchen and the store. Needless to say, the red and white tables in the kitchen and the cook in charge, but there are also different divisions of labor in the store, which can be roughly divided into three parts: one is "Liao Gaoer's" at the door (although it is The meaning of looking out, but here it should be read as "materials"), the second is the waiter in the store, and the third is the account manager on the counter. "Gaoer's" is the type of work that greets and sees off guests, and gives up seats to say hello. This work is now shared between the leading lady and the hostess. The kung fu of "Gaoer's" is all in the eyes. As long as the customer comes once, he will know him next time, so he is extraordinarily attentive, showing so familiarity and closeness, and while giving up his seat, he said: "Yo, I haven't come here, come inside." Please..." For first-time strangers. "Higher ones" must be more polite and affectionate, and they must also analyze the identity and requirements of customers, whether it is a light meal, a small drink, or a dinner party; knowing whether the guests want to sit in a casual seat or enter a private room, you will never be wrong. .If two groups of guests come together during a meal, "Gaoer's" will deal with the two groups of guests at the same time, regardless of whether they are raw or cooked, and will never make people feel that there is no distinction between one and the other.If you encounter some first-time newcomers standing in the store hesitating, the "higher ones" will have to spend a little effort to make you sit down.Generally, in large restaurants, the division of labor is done by "high-level shopkeepers". Most of them are senior shopkeepers with certain social experience, and their status is higher than that of "runners".

The "runner" guy is also a very difficult job. He has to be fast in his legs, diligent in his hands, sharp in his mouth, and sharp in his eyes.Kuai Kuai is always busy and has no time to stay idle. Even if the business in the store is not so busy, he still has to walk briskly. When setting tables, serving dishes, and removing tables, he has to trot. It's so spiritual.Handwork means that you have a lot of work in your eyes. The rag in your hand wipes here and there. Naturally, two hands are occupied when serving food and clearing the table. .Wang Lifa, played by the famous drama artist Mr. Yu Zhi, is standing with his hands down, with the palms of both hands facing down, and his five fingers slightly bent, as if he is ready to do something at any time.Although this is a very subtle subsection in the performance, it can also be seen that the actors portray the characters deeply and have a solid life foundation.Handwork is also reflected in the skill at hand. Serving several dishes at the same time is well arranged, and the order is not chaotic when serving, let alone the wrong table.Although the young lady in the restaurant nowadays has a kind attitude and a pleasant smile, there will be some incidents of spilling soup and leaking water from time to time, or knocking over the wine glass when serving the food, which is really embarrassing.In the old days, serving food in restaurants would never have the tendency of stacking plates on plates, which is also a very uncivilized form of dining.The year before last, I met Mr. Li Binsheng, a cartoonist, and talked about the current phenomenon in restaurants. Mr. Li said that this is called "Chuangwang Banquet", which is "there is no time to do it".The table should be clean and tidy.

As for Zuiling, it has two meanings, one is articulate, never procrastinating when reporting food and settling accounts.In the old days, most restaurants didn’t have recipe menus. Even though there was a water sign, customers would not stand up and look at it.There is a cross talk piece called "Reporting the Names of Dishes", which is a basic skill for cross talk actors to perform. It is necessary to report more than two hundred dishes in one go. Waiters are not cross talk actors. Come on.At that time, it was not good for the waiter to take a small notebook to write down the dishes ordered by the customers, but to memorize them all in his heart, and then repeat all the dishes and desserts ordered by the customers.Another meaning of mouth spirit refers to being able to speak.Nowadays, the waiters performing in some film and television dramas do their best to humbly, nod and bow, which is too exaggerated and unreal.A waiter also has the status of a waiter. He must speak nicely without losing his sense of proportion, and he must not be too flattering and flattering, making customers feel overly pleasing and slippery.Especially when customers order food, stand on the customer's side, make suggestions for the guests, and introduce special dishes, instead of trying to make customers spend more money.Nowadays, the ladies in many restaurants don't know anything about the specialties of the restaurant, they only know that they blindly sell the most expensive dishes, hoping that you can order some shark fin and lobster, and a meal will cost a thousand or eight hundred.After waiting for the guests to order, the waiter sometimes said: "I think these dishes are enough for the three of you, and you can't eat too much. You are a regular customer. I will ask the kitchen to add more ingredients to ensure your satisfaction." .” As for whether to take care of the kitchen, only God knows.Sometimes when the customer is sure that they are happy, they might add a few words: "By the way, a new basket of hairy crabs came into the store this morning. How about I let the kitchen steam some round-navel ones, so you three can try them out?" This kind of just-right recommendation often works, and you have to pay more attention to him.

Talking well does not mean nonsense, you can't say what you shouldn't say, and you can't ask what you shouldn't ask. For example, the name of the guest and where he lives are not for the waiter to ask.Except for very familiar regular customers who know their surnames and ranks and can call them "Li San Ye" and "Liu Si Ye" directly, the waiters basically don't talk about digressions, and the most familiar guests can at most ask how the family is.When encountering a guest talking against someone, you should take the initiative to avoid it. When serving food in a private room, you must announce the name of the dish before lifting the curtain, as a hint that "you will be promoted, and your voice must be raised".Not long ago, I had a meal with a well-known and photogenic actress in a very high-end restaurant due to business. There were only four of us eating, but there were five or six waitresses around us. During the conversation, the actress Inevitably involving the privacy of one's own life, the waitresses took a keen interest and listened attentively. The actress and we asked them to leave three or four times, but the ladies ignored them, took a step back, and then It was very unpleasant to gather together.

Finally, sharp-eyed.This means that the service personnel should pay attention to the observation of the guests and figure out the needs of the guests.This requires service personnel to have certain psychological and social qualities.The old waiters had sharp eyes and were good at distinguishing the class, identity and economic status of customers, and they also observed the emotions of customers at that time and the relationship between host and guest.Therefore, the introduction of dishes and waiter services should vary from person to person.For example, if two friends reunite after a long absence, the waiter will try his best to find a quiet table for you, so that the guests can chat happily.When introducing dishes, we should also introduce some special specialties to boost our interest.If there are a few gourmets who are good at tasting, the waiter will specifically introduce which ingredients are the freshest today, which chefs are in charge of the stove, and what special dim sum is newly made, which is extra caring.If you order a "three non-stick", the waiter may tell you in a low voice: "Master Xu is not at the stove today. This dish is made by his apprentice. The skill is still tender. You can order it tomorrow." You will feel that this waiter is really one of your own.Maybe he will continue to say: "Why don't you take a family portrait, the sea cucumbers and prawns are new in the morning, coincidentally, this is the specialty of Master Liu on the stove, I will serve you one?" The owner is in a bad situation, and he has to invite this table guest, the waiter can also tell that he can be your adviser, and he specializes in helping you find cheap and affordable dishes, which not only saves face, It saved money again, the owner didn't say anything, but he was very grateful in his heart.If there are several female guests, the waiter will introduce you to order a few more light dishes and seasonal snacks.If you see that the guests are from the south, you will take the initiative to ask the customers if they want the dishes to be light.In short, the waiter should try his best to be considerate and nuanced by observing words and expressions, so that customers can feel at home and comfortable.

Most of the above mentioned are the services of traditional Chinese restaurants. As for the services of Western restaurants, most of them do not need the style of traditional restaurants, which saves a lot of words.Most of them are wearing white uniforms and leather shoes, their backs are straight, their movements are gentle, and all movements are as quiet as possible. Although they are careful, their attitudes are neither humble nor overbearing, and they are definitely not as humble as waiters in traditional restaurants.Until the end of the 1950s, most of the restaurants in the Beijing Hotel were male waiters with this image.In the mid-1950s, when the Moscow restaurant first opened, a group of male waiters in their forties were transferred from Harbin. They all wore tuxedos with satin collars, white shirts with stiff collars, and black bow ties, which left a deep impression on me. .

The setting of western food must undergo special training. The use of knives, forks, and spoons should be determined according to different dishes. Large table knives, Chinese food knives, fish table knives, butter knives, and fruit knives should be set according to the season. Coffee spoons should also be placed in the order of serving.Cups are more strict, and there must be no mistakes in the use of water glasses, white wine glasses, red wine glasses, standing glasses, and champagne glasses.The position of the guest of honor should be in the middle of the rectangular dining table. If a square or round table is used, the position of the guest of honor should face the door of the room.The seat arrangement should be based on the hostess, and there are differences between men and women.Setting up the table and serving food should also start with the female guests.If the table is set up in advance, the seats of the guest and the host should be arranged in the way of folding napkins.Western food must be served on a tray. No matter how skilled you are, you cannot serve several dishes at one hand like in traditional restaurants.

In recent years, regardless of mainland China or Hong Kong and Taiwan, the method of eating Chinese and Western dishes has been implemented in high-end restaurants. The dishes are served on the table, and after a brief display, the waitress removes them, divides them into several portions with tableware, and then distributes them. For guests, although this method is civilized and hygienic, it always feels a little less free.In addition, the service lady is not very proficient in her movements, so it is inevitable that there is a suspicion of "treating one more than another".I ate at the Hyatt Hotel in Taipei. Among the seven people in my seat, three of them did not eat shark fin. It was a pity to see three pieces of "Luzon yellow" on the back of the comb go to waste. Nowadays, the service girls in restaurants are very mobile. Except for the foreman, few of them have been more than one or two years old, and they know almost nothing about the history, specialties and famous dishes of their hotel.Sometimes I ask her about the contents of a few dishes, but she may not know it at all.The attitude is good, I immediately go to the kitchen to ask, and report the truth when I come back, which makes people laugh and cry.As for the psychological quality and self-cultivation in dealing with people, it is even more impossible to talk about it. Some people jokingly refer to the middle-aged waitresses in some time-honored state-run restaurants as "children's mothers". Some of these "children's mothers" have served in the same restaurant for many years and are quite familiar with the business, although they are not as graceful as the ladies in some high-end restaurants. , beautiful and pleasant, but it can tell a thing or two about the operation of our store.Once I was eating at Xisi Shaguoju, and I asked for a roasted Zigai. The middle-aged waitress said to me: "I'm sorry, the meat for making Zigai is not available. We just restored a few traditional roasted dishes. , would you like a fried deer tail?" The word "tail" here should be read as "Yi'er", and she read it very correctly.Furthermore, she knew that Zi Gaier and Luwei belonged to the same category of burning dishes, so she was familiar with the business. The service of the catering industry cannot but be said to be a special knowledge. To cultivate talents in this area, technical training alone is not enough, and psychological quality and professionalism should also be cultivated. The "waiter" is not a chef, but he has been able to speak out the knowledge and cooking procedures in the kitchen. The "waiter" is not a sociologist, but he is familiar with the habits and customs of the three religions, different nationalities, and different social classes. The "waiter" is not a historian, but he is very clear about the history, cultural anecdotes, success and failure of the restaurants he works for and the local catering industry. The "waiter" is not a psychologist, but he is familiar with the emotional changes and psychological activities of all kinds of customers. The "waiter" is not a linguist, but he can express and narrate accurately and standardizedly, with decent words.In addition, the "waiter"'s ability to settle accounts is by no means ordinary, and he can calculate the price of a table of meals in one go by looking at the empty plates.A "waiter" has to take care of the guests on several tables and serve the dishes in an orderly manner.The ability in these two aspects requires a little foundation in mathematics and overall planning. In my opinion, the knowledge of "waiters" in the old days is worth learning carefully for ladies.