No matter how much one researches another country, they will always end up learning a new thing or two once they actually hop on a plane to visit it. I personally believed that certain social characteristics of the Egyptian society and other societies are the norm like chewing gum in public transportation (Definitely not the case in Singapore). Yet, Singapore introduced me to new norms especially in the dining world which shifted my perspective and understanding of eating practices.
Whenever my local friend took me to any restaurant or local food establishment, I noticed a common characteristic among those localities. In comparison to what I am accustomed to in restaurants whether in Egypt or even America or Europe, whenever we enter a restaurant, there is minimal social interaction with the waiter/waitress. Let me explain it further. For example, during my first day, my friend took me Ah Chew Desserts which serve gelatinous Chinese desserts such as steamed egg with fresh milk. We took our seats then looked through a very large picture menu of the desserts available. Once we decided, my friend wrote down our order on a piece of paper and gave it to the waitress. This process did not involve any form of communication with the waitress as we did not need to state our order out loud. This type of restaurant interaction was also present in a different form in other restaurants. Rather than writing down one’s order, other establishments use bar codes displayed within a clear plastic stand placed on the table. We would use our phones to scan the bard code, then we would access the menu and tick the food items we want using the online menu checklist. This form of food ordering again does not involve human conversation.
I believe that such establishments cannot be visited by a foreigner without the company of a local especially if the individual is used to the traditional form of oral restaurant service. This style of service reminds me of fish restaurants in Egypt wherein the way the food is ordered is not similar to the traditional service offered by most restaurants. In fish restaurants, the customer would accompany the fish seller to a large display of a diverse collection of fish presented atop a mountain of crushed ice. They would decide on the kinds of fish they want, the amount in grams and kilos and their cooking style. Then they would head to the main seating area of the restaurant to await their order. A foreigner may struggle in such an establishment without a local especially because they would not have the background knowledge of all the steps required to order the food. The same can be said for certain places such as Katz’s Delicatessen at NYC. An establishment that requires a unique collection of steps in order to make an order that may not be known to foreigners.
Overall, it is refreshing that restaurants around the world are taking on new approaches in terms of food service. It allows for more enjoyable and exciting food experiences.
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Egyptian Gastronome 