The main difference between Chinese and Western eating habits is that unlike the West,where everyone has their own plate of food,in China the dishes are placed on the table and everybody shares.If you are being treated by a Chinese host,be prepared for a ton of food.Chinese are very proud of their culture of food and will do their best to give you a taste of many different types of cuisine.Among friends,they will just order enough for the people there.If they are taking somebody out for dinner and the relationship is polite to semi-polite,then they will usually order one more dish than the number of guests (e.g.four people,five dishes).If it is a business dinner or a very formal occasion,there is likely to be a huge amount of food that will be impossible to finish.
A typical meal starts with some cold dishes,like boiled peanuts and smashed cucumber with garlic.These are followed by the main courses,hot meat and vegetable dishes.Finally soup is brought out,which is followed by the starchy "staple" food,which is usually rice or noodles or sometimes dumplings.Many Chinese eat rice (or noodles or whatever) last,but if you like to have your rice together with other dishes,you should say so early on.