Brace yourselves, westerners. Slurping, smacking, and all-around oxygenating your food-filled mouths is the next big thing. I’m not kidding - try it yourself in private and you’ll quickly realize that it makes food taste better. Foodies are all over this, and very soon now you’ll be reading articles in all the major magazines about it. For a few years, fights will break out in posh restaurants who try to maintain the status quo, but ultimately there is no doubt about it, gustatory pleasure will trump polite convention that accumulated during a period of highly restricted culinary experience.
Eating with your mouth open is better. Get used to it.
I agree. If I was running a restaurant in a foreign country and something I or my employees were doing was considered rude, I’d sure as hell want to know about it. They probably won’t care.
[hijack]
I’ve given constructive criticism to management at numerous eating establishments, always with the “I’ve been in food service management, and I thought you should know” disclaimer. You’d be surprised how many managers have no idea what was going on, and are thankful for the info. I’ve gotten a few free meals this way. I’m never the pissed off “I want my money back” guy, I just let them know the customer’s perspective.[/hijack]
