September 7, 2018
There’s nothing wrong with getting a little overexcited when faced with an all-you-can-eat buffet. After all, how often do you really get the chance to eat as much as you like for a set price?
Such excitement can inevitably lead to a stampede of diners, with everyone desperate to fill their plates with delicious curries and side dishes. However, a good buffet restaurant should never really cause such madness, because there have always been certain rules in place to maintain a particular sense of order.
Amongst all the excitement and rumbling stomachs, there are a couple of unspoken rules which outline acceptable buffet etiquette. But what are they?
When the smell of fragrant Indian spices is in the air, nobody likes a staller.
The unmistakeable cooking smells of tikka masalas, kormas and bhunas are enough to make the stomach growl in anticipation, and there’s simply nothing more frustrating than somebody holding up the line.
The first rule of buffet etiquette is to keep things moving and not hold up the other diners. To avoid this, we recommend doing a quick sweep of all the dishes on offer before joining the line, so that you have a much clearer idea of what you want to add to your plate.
This is a big one. Touching the food with your bare hands is both unsanitary and, well, just downright strange. The food in the serving dishes are there for everyone to use, and people aren’t going to want to try food which has had your hands all over it.
Most buffet restaurants will provide clean utensils for you to handle the food and plate up with, and these need to be placed back in their original places to avoid any contamination. As tempting as it might be to grab a fistful of masala chips, you should always use the utensils provided.
Nobody wants to feel rushed or hassled while they’re at a buffet.
While it’s true that diners need to keep things moving, you need to be patient when the people in front of you are plating up. You should certainly avoid trying to push in front of them, while the last thing you should do is attempt to reach around them to grab at a nearby dish.
Instead, you need to take a deep breath and stay patient- you’re bound to have a full belly soon enough.
You can practise your buffet etiquette at the best halal restaurant London has to offer. Visit Royal Nawaab to sample as many delicious curries as you like!
