Food/Dining Culture: Netherlands vs. USA

Two days ago, I spent the day by myself, wandering the streets of Amsterdam. This was my first time going out by myself to explore, but I really enjoyed it. I made it a goal for the day to find an authentic Chinese restaurant because we had previously passed so many restaurants that looked good, but didn't have time to sit down and eat. I wandered the alleyway full of dozens of ethnic foods and finally found a sichuan Chinese restaurant that was packed. I walked in, made eye contact with a waitress, and then found a seat in the back. I wasn't sure if she acknowledged my party of 1, but I sat down nonetheless. The same woman seemed to be one of about three waiters running around, serving the very crowded restaurant. I made eye contact with her many times. Then this Dutch family of four walked in and sat down. I had been sitting there without anyone approaching me for about ten minutes at this point. The father then flags down a waiter and asks for menus. I knew, then, what I had to do if I wanted to eat. 

As someone who's worked in food service and know how some customers can be, I am always hyper aware of my behaviors when I become the customer. I try not to inconvenience waiters/tresses when I clearly see they are in a rush. For example, if something on my plate is wrong, I don't ask them to remake it for me or to modify it for me because I feel as if I'm inconveniencing them (but this is also a me problem and my mom gets frustrated with me when this happens because she says I'm a paying customer). 

With this in mind, I had too had to flag the waitress for a menu. 

Since I've been here, and visited other European countries, I've observed and experienced significant difference in dining culture. 

First, I still am unsure on what to do when I enter a restaurant. It's not common for restaurants to have hosts to seat you. Most times you can just sit down wherever you want, but other times you can't, so what I end up doing is standing there like a deer in headlights, not knowing what the establishment prefers. 

Second, if you want or need something, you have to flag down the server. Unlike America, where they check on you every 10 minutes, you have to explicitly ask the servers for what you want. Which, for me, makes me uncomfortable. Fortunately, this action doesn't have a negative connotation over here. And, they allow you to enjoy a relaxing meal with friends and family without any interruptions. 

Third, Europeans are happier because they are able to live off the wage they earn. They don't look as bothered as some American workers, at least not outwardly. This point, though, has a lot of layers to it, so I will leave at that. 

Fourthly, one of my friends said that splitting checks was a very "Dutch" thing to do. In America, we have the technology to split checks, but here, I've learned, it's not as common as we had originally thought. There have been many times where we ask if we can split the check and they turn us down. There's a restaurant in our apartment complex that says "one table, one bill". Even when we asked to pay separately at the bar they still wouldn't allow it. It's not the end of the world, but it adds up when you keep putting bills on one card. Another time, we asked to split the bill, and they said no because it was too busy. Again, not the end of the world, but sometimes there are a lot of people, and the bill can get hefty. My American mind can't comprehend the fact that they can't just split it. But again, this is a cultural difference. 

Lastly, when we are hungry after a long day of walking around the city and want to grab a bite to eat, it is impossible to find a restaurant whose kitchen is open past 6pm. After that, they only serve drinks. I've noticed that I rarely see people eating full meals here. Most of the time, I see everyone drinking alcohol instead of eating. One time, I saw a group of about ten people share a personal-sized pizza for dinner, accompanied by pitcher after pitcher of beer. My friends and I observed this and were in awe at how little Dutch people eat - that we personally witness. I know America gets made fun of their proportion sizes and preservative-filled food, but it still confuses me why it's quite literally impossible to find food after 6pm. 

The main takeaway when comparing American Dining culture is that it runs on a "go in to get out" concept. Meanwhile, European/Dutch dining culture is an experience. I know this kind of comparison is cliche, but it really still baffles me, sometimes, when they simply cannot split the check or when they consume only alcohol for dinner. I've gotten used to the cultural differences, but these particular aspects still gets me every time I run into them. 

On that note, here are some pictures of some of the food I've and some of my friends have had so far: