Japanese restaurants

The first thing to remember when enjoying Japanese cuisine is that the Japanese eat with chopsticks and drink soup directly from the bowl, so don't expect any knives and forks at your table.

In addition, before eating their meal the Japanese put their hands together as if in prayer and say ‘Itadakimasu', which means, I receive this food with thanks. After finishing the meal, both hands are put together again and ‘gochisousama deshita' is said, which means, that was a feast. Although you will probably not be expected to do this in a Japanese restaurant in the UK, don't be surprised if you see some guests sticking to tradition.

When eating at a typical Japanese restaurant, you should follow this simple order like the Japanese do: take a bite from the main dish or side dish, eat some rice, then drink some soup from the bowl and start the cycle again until the meal is finished.