How To Order Chinese Food

how to order food in chinese
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How to Read a Chinese Menu

Reading menus in a foreign language can be an overwhelming experience even to someone who speaks some of it. This mainly happens because not many textbooks or online courses teach people some important key vocabulary that is most likely to show up in a menu. 

To add oil to the flames (mmm, food metaphors…), China is famous for its varied cuisine. Cooking styles and flavors vary greatly between the north and the south, the east and the west of China. Even hot pot, the rock star of Chinese restaurants all over the world, comes in different flavors depending on the province. 

So, how to order food in Chinese? Fret not. After reading this article, you will be able to read menus in Chinese and order food with minimal hassle!

how to order food in chinese: basic menu

Basics

Generally, all dishes in Chinese menus can be divided into several groups:

  • 凉菜 / liángcài / cold dishes
  • 热菜 / rè cài / hot dishes
  • / tāng / soups and broths
  • 饮料酒水 / yǐnliào jiǔshuǐ / drinks (both non-alcoholic and alcoholic)
  • 点心 / diǎnxīn / dim sum; 甜点 / tiándiǎn / desserts

A decent meal for a group of four or more people may include all of the above. Note that while hot dishes is treated as the main course, you will often see different types of food spread out on the table at the same time, with your Chinese friends snacking on 黏糕 / nián gāo / sweet rice cake, washing it down with 鸡汤 / jītāng / chicken broth, then going to town on 煎饺 / jiān jiǎo / fried dumplings and 拍黄瓜 / pāi huángguā / beaten cucumbers indiscriminately. So don’t be shy with your order!

Cooking methods

No kitchen can do without a pot and a knife. Some Chinese dishes have names that allude to the way their ingredients have been cut. Cutting methods include:

Method Translation Example dishes Translation
丝 / sī shreds, strips 土豆丝 / tǔdòu sī  potato floss, shredded potatoes
块 / kuài bits, chunks 鸡块 / jī kuài  chicken nuggets
片 / piàn slices 鱼片泡饭 / yú piàn pàofàn cice with fish fillet 
条 / tiáo strips 薯条 / shǔ tiáo French fries
丁 / dīng dice 宫保鸡丁 / gōng bǎo jī dīng  Kung Pao Chicken, spicy diced chicken

Cutting methods

Cooking methods include: 

Method Translation Example dishes Translation
煎 / jiān pan fry 煎饺 / jiān jiǎo; 煎豆腐 / jiān dòufu fried dumplings; fried tofu
炸 / zhá deep fry 炸鸡 / zhá jī; 炸酱面 / zhá jiàng miàn  fried chicken; noodles with ground pork simmered in salty soybean paste
炒 / chǎo stir-fry 青椒炒肉丝 / qīngjiāo chǎo ròu sī; 番茄炒鸡蛋 / fānqié chǎo jīdàn stir-fried shredded meat with green pepper; scrambled eggs with tomatoes
烧 / shāo braise, stew, bake, roast 红烧茄子 / hóngshāo qiézi; 烧鱼 / hóngshāo yú; 烧饼 / shāobǐng eggplant braised in soy sauce; fish braised in soy sauce; baked cake covered in sesame seeds
烤 / kāo toast, bake, broil, roast 烤鸭 / kǎoyā; 北京烤鸭 / běijīng kǎoyā; 烧烤 / shāokǎo roast duck; Peking duck; BBQ
煮 / zhǔ  boil 水饺 / shuǐjiǎo; 水煮鱼 / shuǐ zhǔ yú boiled dumplings; Sichuan poached sliced fish in hot chili oil
炖 / dùn  stew 炖菜 / dùn cài; 炖牛肉 / dùn niúròu vegetable stew; beef stew
蒸 / zhēng steam 蒸饺 / zhēng jiǎo; 清蒸鱼 / qīngzhēng yú; 蒸鸡蛋 / zhēng jīdàn steamed dumplings; steamed fish; steamed omelet

Cooking methods

Flavors

The four basic flavors are 酸甜苦辣 / suāntiánkǔlà: sour, sweet, bitter, and spicy respectively. Many Chinese foods use combinations of various seasonings to achieve rich flavors, which can be described as:

Flavor Translation Example dishes Translation
酸甜 / suān tián  sour and sweet 锅包肉 / guō bāo ròu fried pork in scoop
糖醋 / táng cù sweet and sour 糖醋排骨 / táng cù páigǔ sweet and sour pork ribs
麻辣 / má là numbingly spicy 麻辣烫 / málà tàng; 麻辣香锅 / málà xiāng guō hot spicy soup; spicy stir-fry hot pot
椒麻 / jiāo má spicy pepper 椒麻鸡 / jiāo má jī spiced chicken with chili sauce
酱香 / jiàng xiāng soy sauce 酱香排骨 / jiàng xiāng páigǔ pork ribs braised in soy sauce
香辣 / xiāng là fragrant and spicy 香辣鸡翅 / xiāng là jīchì; 麻婆豆腐  / má pó dòufu spicy wings; Ma Po Tofu
酸辣 / suān là  sour and spicy 酸辣土豆丝 / suān là tǔdòu sī sour and spicy shredded potatoes

Whether you can’t handle spicy food or habitually drink lava and want your meal to reflect that, don’t forget to tell the waiter how you like your food: 不辣 / bù là / not spicy, 微辣 / wēi là / a bit spicy, 中辣 / zhōng là / pretty spicy, or 特辣 / tè là / extremely spicy. 

 

Useful Phrases for Ordering Chinese Food

Obviously, reading the menu is just one part of the restaurant experience – the real deal is talking to the waiters. What will you hear from Chinese waiters and what will they expect you to say? Let’s find out!

how to order food in chinese: common phrases

Before sitting down

Phrase Pinyin Translation 
您几位? Nín jǐ wèi? How many of you are here?
请问有预订吗?  Qǐngwèn yǒu yùdìng ma? Do you have a reservation?
我们预订了座位/五人桌。 Wǒmen yùdìngle zuòwèi/wǔ rén zhuō. We booked a table / a table for five.
请给我们一个靠窗的位置。  Qǐng gěi wǒmen yīgè kào chuāng de wèizhì. Give us a table by the window, please.

Ordering

Phrase Pinyin Translation 
服务员,点菜! Fúwùyuán, diǎn cài! Waiter, we are ready to order!
你们有英文菜单吗? Nǐmen yǒu yīngwén càidān ma? Do you have menus in English?
我们要一份这个……两份这个…… Wǒmen yào yī fèn zhège……liǎng fèn zhège…… We want one portion of this… two portions of that…
几碗米饭? Jǐ wǎn mǐfàn? How many bowls of plain rice?
请问有忌口吗? Qǐngwèn yǒu jìkǒu ma? Do you have any dietary restrictions?
不要辣, 不要香菜和葱。  Bùyào là, bùyào xiāngcài hé cōng. No spice, no coriander, and no leek.
服务员,催一下我们这桌的菜。 Fúwùyuán, cuī yīxià wǒmen zhè zhuō de cài.  Waiter, hasten the cooks with our order.
我们等人到齐了再点菜。 Wǒmen děng rén dào qíle zài diǎn cài. We’ll wait till everyone is here and then place our order.

Paying the bill

Phrase Pinyin Translation 
服务员,买单! Fúwùyuán, mǎidān! Waiter, we are ready to pay the bill!
请问在哪买单? Qǐngwèn zài nǎ mǎidān? Excuse me, where do I pay?
你们是AA吗?还是一起结? Nǐmen shì ēi ēi ma? Háishì yīqǐ jié? Are you splitting the bill? Or paying together?
一共多少钱? Yīgòng duōshǎo qián?  How much money in total?
您怎么支付呢?微信还是支付宝? Nín zěnme zhīfù ne? Wēixìn háishì zhīfùbǎo? How are you paying? With WeChat or Alipay?
需要开发票。 Xūyào kāi fāpiào. I need the receipt.
欢迎下次光临! Huānyíng xià cì guānglín! Looking forward to you visiting our restaurant again!

 

What to Order in a Chinese Restaurant

Chinese restaurant
Image source: Unsplash

Real Chinese food is much different from what you could get at Panda Express. Chinese people like to balance meat and vegetables out, and you won’t find as many deep-fried foods in Chinese restaurants as in the States.

Let’s start with Chinese staple foods: 米饭 / mǐfàn / rice and 面条 / miàntiáo / noodles, lifesavers of absolute beginners in Chinese. No one can go wrong with 炒饭 / chǎofàn / fried rice and 牛肉面 / niúròu miàn / beef noodles! Add / bǐng / pie and / zhōu / congee to the mix to eat your fill with 肉饼 / ròu bǐng / meat pie and 小米粥 / xiǎomǐ zhōu / millet gruel.

And if you feel ready to learn more, check out the lists below, compiled by foodies for foodies! But beware: dishes similar in the name may taste differently depending on the province, the city, or even the cook’s mood. It’s all part of the adventure!

Breakfast dishes

Name Translation
蛋糕 / dàngāo cake
面包 / miànbāo bread
麦片 / màipiàn oatmeal
包子 / bāozi baozi, steamed buns with fillings
馒头 / mántou mantou, plain steamed buns
烧麦 / shāo mài  shumai, a type of dim sum
烧饼 / shāobǐn baked pie covered in sesame seeds
卷饼 / juǎn bǐng roll with filling
豆浆 / dòujiāng soy milk
牛奶 / niúnǎi  milk
粥 / zhōu  congee
馅饼 / xiàn bǐng  pie with filling
小笼包 / xiǎo lóng bāo xiaolongbao (a type of Chinese steamed bun)
锅贴 / guōtiē  potsticker
煎饼 / jiānbing  pancake
玉米 / yù mǐ corn
面条 / miàn tiáo  noodles

Breakfast

Popular dishes

Dishes Translation
番茄炒蛋  / fānqié chǎo dàn  scrambled eggs with tomatoes
四喜丸子 / sì xǐ wánzi  braised pork meatballs in gravy
北京烤鸭 / běijīng kǎoyā Peking duck 
糖醋里脊  / táng cù lǐjí sweet and sour pork 
麻婆豆腐 / má pó dòufu Mapo tofu, stir-fried tofu in hot sauce
宫保鸡丁 / gōng bǎo jī dīng Kung Pao chicken 
鱼香肉丝 / yú xiāng ròu sī fish-flavored shredded pork 
栗子鸡 / lìzǐ jī  chicken with chestnuts 

Chinese dishes

Popular dishes by province

Province  Dish Translation
河南 / hénán 烩面 / huì miàn braised noodles
山西 / shānxī 刀削面 / dāoxiāomiàn sliced noodles
武汉 / wǔhàn 热干面 / rè gān miàn hot noodles with sesame paste
四川 / sìchuān 担担面 / dàndàn miàn noodles with a peppery sauce
兰州 / lánzhōu 拉面 / lāmiàn hand-pulled noodles

Noodles

 

Complimenting the chef

Flavors Translation Examples Translation
好吃 / hǎo chī good to eat 这家火锅真好吃!/ Zhè jiā huǒguō zhēn hào chī! This hot pot is good to eat!
可口 / kěkǒu tasty 他弄得水果沙拉清凉可口。/ Tā nòng dé shuǐguǒ shālā qīngliáng kěkǒu. The fruit salad he made is fresh and tasty.
爽口 / shuǎngkǒu  fresh and tasty 这几道小菜十分爽口。/ Zhè jǐ dào xiǎocài shífēn shuǎngkǒu. These side dishes are very fresh and tasty.
鲜美 / xiānměi delicious 妈妈做的红烧鱼味道鲜美。/ Māma zuò de hóngshāo yú wèidào xiānměi. The braised fish my mom cooks is delicious.
香甜 / xiāngtián sweet 爸爸挑选的桃子味道香甜,颜色鲜艳。/ Bàba tiāoxuǎn de táozi wèidào xiāngtián, yánsè xiānyàn. The peaches my father chose were sweet and bright in color.
酥脆 / sūcuì  crispy 这里的炸红薯金黄酥脆。/ Zhèlǐ de zhà hóngshǔ jīnhuáng sūcuì. The fried sweet potatoes here are golden and crispy.
回味无穷 / huíwèi wúqióng  divine, leaving a rich aftertaste 我刚喝了杯特好喝的奶茶,让人回味无穷。/ Wǒ gāng hēle bēi tè hǎo hē de nǎichá, ràng rén huíwèi wúqióng. I just drank a cup of milk tea, which is very divine, leaving a rich aftertaste.
色香味俱全 / sè xiāngwèi jùquán rich in flavour 这道菜真的色香味俱全!/ Zhè dào cài zhēn de sè xiāngwèi jùquán! This dish is rich in flavour!
味道鲜美 / wèidào xiānměi delicious 这家海鲜店的菜味道鲜美。/ Zhè jiā hǎixiān diàn de cài wèidào xiānměi. The dishes in this seafood restaurant are delicious.
口感丰富 / kǒugǎn fēngfù  flavourful 梅干菜微甜,微咸,口感丰富。/ Méigān cài wēi tián, wēi xián, kǒugǎn fēngfù. Prunes are flavourful, slightly sweet and slightly salty.

Chinese chef

Of course, not all food deserves our heartfelt praises. If you want to politely criticize the dish, use 口味偏淡// / kǒuwèi piān dàn/xián/zhòng to say that the taste is “somewhat bland/salty/heavy” respectively.

 

Chinese Table Manners

Last but not least, make sure to familiarize yourself with Chinese etiquette before setting your foot in a Chinese restaurant or family home. Remember: first impressions matter and little acts of politeness can take you a long way!

  • The most important person (your boss at a company gathering or your partner’s elderly grandpa at a family get-together) should sit on the seat opposing the door, as far from where the waiters come in to serve the food as possible. Don’t sit down until more important people do.
  • If you’ve been invited to a family dinner, the host will encourage you to eat more. Show your respect by asking for a refill – then they’ll know you’re enjoying your meal very much.
  • Adding food to the elders’ or children’s plates is considered thoughtful and polite. Many restaurants will provide 公筷 / gōng kuài / communal serving chopsticks for this exact purpose.
  • If there is a rotating tray, or “lazy Susan”, at your table, make good use of it instead of standing up and reaching for the food across the whole table, but don’t turn it when someone else is filling their plate.
  • Never stick chopsticks upright in your food. That’s something people do with incense sticks during funerals and prayers to their deceased ancestors.
  • Never play with your chopsticks and don’t use them as drumsticks. Apart from looking incredibly silly, hitting your chopsticks against the bowl is considered to bring bad luck, because that’s something beggars used to do to attract people’s attention.
  • Don’t dig around for something specific in a communal dish – your tablemates won’t be happy to know you’re only letting them eat something you wouldn’t want to eat yourself.
  • Don’t talk around a mouthful of food and avoid making too much noise when chewing.
  • When in doubt, ask! You have nothing to lose.

Table manners

That’s it, folks! Hope you found this article useful. Stay tuned for more and make sure to bless the Chinese restaurant in your area with your presence! 

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