CUTLERY

A flat sauce spoon with a notch (on the right side in the photo above) is designed to help scooping the sauce whilst avoiding scratching the plate. The notch drains fat and oil away from the sauce you want to eat.

Cutlery benches are designed to prevent  the cutlery above the handles from touching the tablecloth, which is good for hygiene and aesthetics.  They are particularly popular in Japan.