[carlosjobim]

Here's a hint: Eating at a restaurant is not like eating in a school canteen. And it's not about stilling your hunger. You can eat in any order and pace that you prefer. So if people arrive at different times, you can share some starters while waiting for the other people to arrive. Then jump into some main courses when everybody is ready.

You're not supposed to arrive hungry to a restaurant, then you are doing it wrong. It's not about filling your belly.

[n4r9]

> you can share some starters while waiting for the other people to arrive. Then jump into some main courses when everybody is ready

True, and that does sometimes happen, depending on the situation. But still, this is much easier to do when you don't have to flag down the waiter everytime you want to order.

> You're not supposed to arrive hungry to a restaurant

Not if it's fine dining and I have low expectations about portion sizes. If I'm going to a "fast casual" restaurant like Nandos then I will arrive ready to eat. I dunno, maybe you're not classing that as a "restaurant" ?

P.S. "you are doing it wrong" is kinda moralistic! I respect that some people still prefer to speak to human beings when getting service, but cultural processes are always changing and adapting to new technology.

[carlosjobim]

Yes, I'm a bit moralistic about this, you're right. I think eating at a restaurant is a skill that a lot of modern people are not taught. It's not about eating, it is about socializing – unless you're going alone. Portion sizes have nothing to do with it, because you can order more food until you are satisfied.

Or, if money is tight and you really don't want to order more than your main meal, you can always have a bite at home before going out.

It's also possible to train your resistance to hunger, so that you can stand being hungry for 12 hours easy (let's hope service is not that slow). The way to train is to skip your meals during a day and wait until you become extremely hungry. Then just don't eat and after a couple of hours it passes. Do this three times on different occasions and after that you are trained for the rest of your life, and will never again become frustrated or desperate because of hunger.