In the West you can arrange any Chinese food with just 10 expressions of Chinese (the numbers 0 to 9) as everything on a Chinese important point menu is numbered! In any case, most important point staff in the West communicate in English (and Cantonese, not Mandarin), so endeavors to be multifaceted will more often than not crash and burn. In China, paradoxically, requesting food can be a genuinely social encounter, and there are no English talking staff to help frequently or even English menus, and surely no numbers. This page is intended to give you a few hints and helpful expressions for requesting food in China.

With China Features the difficult work is removed from requesting. We select famous dishes, addressing provincial flavor and client taste, in view of more than 12 years of involvement. With our aides’ assist you with canning get the menu deciphered, seek clarification on some pressing issues and get proposals.

Reading Menus

• Menu: 菜单, cài dān, /tseye-dan/

While showing up in an eatery, in the wake of taking a seat at the table, and the standard pot of tea has been served, the following thing that will show up is the menu (菜单 caidan/tseye-dan/).

Learning Restaurant Chinese Video

We have delivered a video with a few helpful expressions, tips and social notes.

Menus with Pictures

• One portion: 一份, Yí Fèn, /ee fnn/

In the event that the menu has pictures fortune has smiled on you as this offers a simple method for requesting. Simply highlight what you need and say yi fen (一份/ee fnn/’one piece’). In northern China ‘one piece’ is articulated yi fenr (一份儿/ee frrh/). (See numbers in our phrasebook for in the event that you need more than one part.) You could likewise do likewise assuming you see another person eating something you would like by pointing at their food. Be that as it may, in spite of the fact that individuals will generally pardon you for being unfamiliar, this is somewhat rude and strange.

English/Chinglish Menus

A few Chinese menus, especially in large eateries or those that have a Western topic, have English menus. This is the very smart arrangement, however be careful — once in a while the English is erroneous genuinely, very separated from the Chinglish and spelling botches. In English menu eateries the staff can in any case frequently not communicate in English, so you will in any case need to point at the menu and say yi fen as above.

Menus without Pictures

In the event that you have an expression book with you or a memorable capacity Chinese characters then you could highlight the Chinese for the food you need as above. The following is a rundown of a few generally requested and most loved Chinese food sources among Westerners.

Ordering Verbally

• Do you have …?: 有没有, you mei you, Yǒu Méi Yǒu, /yoh may yoh/

You could utilize the rundown above or some other food names that you have learnt in Mandarin. A valuable expression is you mei you (有没有/yoh-may-yoh/’Do you have …?’). On the off chance that the eatery has it the answer will be you (yes), while perhaps not then mei you (no).

Common phrases

How Many Dishes to Order — Avoid 4 and 7

Normally another dish is requested than there are individuals eating, however this frequently leaves food spare. The Chinese custom is dependably to arrange an excessive amount to show liberality and neighborliness. A dish for each individual is generally enough. (There is a Chinese notion about the number 4, as it seems like the word for death in Chinese, so four dishes are only from time to time requested. Similarly in the Canton region seven dishes are only occasionally requested as it is a custom there to eat seven dishes the day after a burial service. To a great extent such traditions are disregarded now separated from on unique events, and Westerners would positively not be supposed to follow them.)

What to order — Try Different Dishes

Attempt to arrange a scope of various dishes on the off chance that there are various individuals eating, including various kinds of meats and vegetables. Soup/stock (汤 tang/tung/) is a practically standard starter in China. Sweet pastries are not a custom in China, but rather the caramelized banana/apple or steamed buns with dense milk plunge are accessible at numerous eateries.

Ordering Dumplings

Chinese dumplings (饺子jiǎozi/jyaoww-dzrr/) are a #1 with Westerners and a few cafés have some expertise in dumplings. Around 20 or 30 is typically enough for a dinner, 40 on the off chance that you’re truly ravenous. Dumplings are requested in (generally bamboo) plate called long of 10 or 20 dumplings. So you can say yī lóng (一笼/ee-long/’one plate’) trailed by your decision of filling to arrange. Well known fillings incorporate pork (猪肉zhūròu/joo-roh/), meat (牛肉niúròu/nyoh-roh/), cabbage (白菜báicài/beye-tseye/) and garlic chives/leek (韭菜jiǔcài/jyoh-tseye/).

Ordering Steak

Enormous urban areas in China have steak cafés ordinarily with English menus, yet at the same time without English-talking staff. In the event that you feel shy of meat (which you most likely won’t in China) or are missing Western food they are a wonderful choice.

Ordering from Fast Food Restaurants

You might choose to attempt China’s drive-through eateries. There are natural names like MacDonald’s and KFC, yet the food isn’t a similar all of the time. Milk shakes, for instance, are elusive in the south. There are likewise many chains with unmistakably Chinese names and flavors (normally more zesty). On the other hand you could point at one of the food varieties or set feast choices showed in striking tones above and on the counters.