Is it civilized to eat buffet and change plates constantly or is it better to just eat clean and quietly?

Many readers think that spending money on a buffet meal is to experience and fully appreciate the flavors of the food, so it is natural to change bowls and plates. On the contrary, some say that just eating neatly and cleanly is enough.

Buffet party organized by a restaurant in Hoi An - Photo: NHAN QUY

The article "Is it polite and civilized to change bowls and plates after each meal at a buffet?" received many controversial opinions from readers.

Changing bowls and plates at a buffet is the norm in luxury restaurants.

That is the assertion of reader An Nhien. According to this reader, if you do not change the bowls and plates, they will be very messy and unhygienic. “I think civilization lies in cleanliness, not in saving a few drops of dishwashing liquid,” reader An Nhien emphasized.

Sharing the same point of view, reader Vu believes that customers pay for services, and it is their right to exchange as many plates as they want. Restaurants must serve, and cannot use the excuse of the environment, tired staff, or issues of civility and politeness...

Analyzing the above problem, reader Moc Huong said that bowls and plates should be changed after each serving to avoid mixing flavors and reduce the risk of cross-contamination, especially when many people have the habit of trying food and then leaving it behind. Ensuring hygiene is the key to maintaining health.

Having eaten buffet many times, reader Tran Tam said that each dish requires changing bowls, plates, spoons... continuously because they are prepared differently. If used together, the previous dish can leave residue from the next dish, sometimes causing an unpleasant smell.

“Eating green here also means taking just enough food, not taking too much, which is wasteful and also makes it hard for the staff to clean the tables and the dishwasher,” reader Tran Tam concluded.

Many people believe that changing plates and bowls is now the norm in luxury restaurants and hotels. As reader Hoa Tuan shared: “I see that in high-class places, changing plates continuously is the norm, because that is the service that customers pay for. Eating from dirty plates looks strange and impolite.”

Although she loves the environment, for reader Yen Anh, when going to a buffet, hygiene still has to be a top priority. “Reusing old plates can cross-contaminate bacteria, affecting health. Restaurants always have enough bowls and plates to ensure that,” reader Yen Anh expressed.

“I always change the plate when I get another dish. How can a salad be delicious after eating seafood? This is a way to respect the food and yourself,” reader Mai Thi frankly said.

Meanwhile, reader Thu suggests dividing the plates into separate dishes. One plate is for cooked dishes. One plate is for vegetables and panchan like kimchi or pickled radish, and the other plate is for separate bowls. Any other food with the same sauce can be placed together. Use the same plate to get more food, which is both economical and hygienic.

“Many places clean tables continuously, which is good, but many places have small tables and not enough cleaning staff, so I clean them up for them,” reader Thu shared.

Just be clean, quiet, and don't bother others.

Besides opinions agreeing with the need to change bowls and plates, many readers also argued that doing so would be difficult for employees and indirectly pollute the environment.

As reader Mai Dang Thanh wrote: changing plates constantly sounds polite but is actually very wasteful. Keeping your plate clean and finishing your food before getting more is truly civilized behavior.

Reader Ngoc Tran thinks that every time you change a disc, you add more waste and cleaning chemicals to the environment.

“I find it most polite to eat neatly on a plate, and eating at home is the same, instead of making the staff run back and forth because of excessive cleanliness,” reader Ngoc Tran analyzed.

Reader with email hong****@gmail.com expressed the opinion that except for a few special dishes, there is no reason to change bowls and plates.

“For example, eating a plate of sweet cake is not afraid of dead bacteria, but is afraid of bacteria in the remaining piece of cake stuck on the plate when getting rice or meat. The same thing for raw dishes sounds bad, but eating the belly of salmon or raw shrimp is not afraid of stomach ache but is afraid of the bacteria stuck on the plate,” this reader emphasized.

Reader Le Thi Thu Van asked: Does anyone think that changing eating utensils often makes the service staff work twice as hard? “It wastes more water, soap and releases more chemicals, civilized for you but inconvenient for others” - this reader wrote.

Citing a story from abroad, reader Dang Hong Phong said that in many places people keep the same plate for eating all the time, not changing it constantly. "Civilization is not necessarily the same in every country, but eating cleanly, neatly, quietly, and without disturbing others is the right thing to do."

AN VI

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/tranh-luan-an-buffet-doi-chen-dia-lien-tuc-moi-van-minh-hay-chi-can-an-uong-sach-yen-lang-la-duoc-20250911220924531.htm