Cultural Notes

 In Britain and the US, many bars andrestaurants offer dishes from all over the world. However, if you especiallylike French, Italian, Lebanese or Chinese food, you can choose restaurantswhich specialize in those kinds of cooking. There are Chinese restaurants inmost big cities in the West.

Most Western meals have two or three courses: a starter, a main course and a dessert. The dessert is usually something sweet.

Cultural Notes

A common stereotype of students in the West is that they eat poorly and unhealthily. While this is obviously not true of all students, those on a budget are likely to eat cheap foods such as instant noodles and toast. These are very quick to make and require few cooking skills, meeting the needs of young adults with busy social lives and assignments tocomplete. In addition, cooking facilities in rented accommodation are oftenbasic. A kitchen in a hall of residence may be shared by up to 20 students. Student discounts on takeaway food (known as “takeout food” in the US) also discourage home cooking.