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How to Order Food in Restaurants in China

How to Order Food in Restaurants in China

Written by Kelly PangUpdated Nov. 20, 2023

In the West you can order any Chinese food with only 10 words of Chinese (the numbers 0 to 9) as everything on a Chinese takeaway menu is numbered! However, most takeaway staff in the West speak English (and Cantonese, not Mandarin), so efforts to be cross-cultural tend to fall flat. In China, by contrast, ordering food can be a real cultural experience, and there are no English speaking staff to help often or even English menus, and certainly no numbers. This page is designed to give you some tips and useful phrases for ordering food in China.

With China Highlights the hard work is taken out of ordering. We select popular dishes, representing regional flavor and customer taste, based on over 12 years of experience. With our guides' help you can get the menu translated, ask questions and get recommendations.

If on the other hand you would like to be more independent and engage with Chinese culture directly when ordering food, be prepared to be patient and use every means of communication available.

Reading Menus

  • Menu: 菜单, cài dān, /tseye-dan/

When arriving in a restaurant, after sitting down at the table, and the customary pot of tea has been served, the next thing that will arrive is the menu (菜单 caidan /tseye-dan/).

Learning Restaurant Chinese Video

We have produced a video with several useful phrases, tips and cultural notes.

Menus with Pictures

MenuChinese Menu with Pictures
  • One portion: 一份, Yí Fèn, /ee fnn/

If the menu has pictures you are in luck as this offers an easy way to order. Just point to what you want and say yi fen (一份 /ee fnn/ 'one portion'). In northern China 'one portion' is pronounced yi fenr (一份儿 /ee frrh/). (See numbers in our phrasebook for if you want more than one portion.) You could also do the same if you see someone else eating something you would like by pointing at their food. However, although people will usually excuse you for being foreign, this is a little impolite and bizarre.

English/Chinglish Menus

Chinese Menu English/Chinglish Menu without Picture

Some Chinese menus, particularly in big restaurants or those that have a Western theme, have English menus. This is the ideal situation, but beware — sometimes the English is incorrect factually, quite apart from the Chinglish and spelling mistakes. In English menu restaurants the staff will still often not be able to speak English, so you will still have to point at the menu and say yi fen as above.

Our Chinese food menu covers major Chinese dishes.

Menus without Pictures

If you have a phrase book with you or an ability to remember Chinese characters then you could point to the Chinese for the food you want as above. Below is a list of some commonly ordered and favorite Chinese foods among Westerners.

Dish Chinese Pinyin Pronunciation
Rice 米饭 mǐ fàn mee-fan
Egg fried rice—a simple cheap dish that can be found all over China 蛋炒饭 dàn chǎo fàn dan-chaoww-fan
Wheat noodles—another Chinese staple, more popular in the north 面条 miàn tiáo myen-tyaoww
Sizzling beef—served on a very hot plate with peppers/onions 铁板牛肉 tiě bǎn niú ròu tyeah-ban nyoh-roh
Kungpao chicken or diced chicken and cashews 宫保鸡丁/宫爆鸡丁 gōng bǎo jī dīng/ gōng bào jī dīng gong-baoww-jee-ding
Sweet and Sour Pork Ribs 酸甜排骨 suān tián pái gǔ Swann-tyen peye-goo
Deep-fried pumpkin sticks 黄沙南瓜条 huáng shā nán guā tiáo hwung-shah nan-gwaa-tyaoww
Fried eggplant 红烧茄子 hóng shāo qié zi hong-shaoww chyeah-dzrr
Fried eggplant, potato and peppers 地三鲜 dìsān xiān dee-san-sshyen
Fried shredded potato 土豆丝 tǔ dòu sī too-doh-srr
Fried Chinese cabbage 炒大白菜 chǎo dà bái cài chaoww daa-beye-tseye
Steamed buns with condensed milk dip 炼乳馒头 liàn rǔ mán tou lyen-roo man-toh
Caramelized banana/apple 拔丝香蕉/苹果 bá sī xiāng jiāo/píng guǒ baa-srr sshyang-jyaoww/ping-gwor

Ordering Verbally

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

You could use the list above or any other food names that you have learnt in Mandarin. A useful phrase is you mei you (有没有 /yoh-may-yoh/ 'Do you have ...?'). If the restaurant has it the reply will be you (yes), if not then mei you (no).

Common phrases

Phrase Chinese Pinyin Pronunciation
I don't want chilies. 我不要辣。 Wǒ bú yào là. Wor boo-yaoww laa.
I don't want MSG. 我不要味精。 Wǒ bú yào wèijìng. Wor boo-yaoww way-jing.
I don't want it too salty. 我不要太咸。 Wǒ bú yào tài xián. Wor boo-yaoww teye sshyen.

How Many Dishes to Order — Avoid 4 and 7

DishesTry Different Dishes.

Typically one more dish is ordered than there are people eating, but this often leaves food spare. The Chinese custom is always to order too much to show generosity and hospitality. A dish per person is usually enough. (There is a Chinese superstition about the number 4, as it sounds like the word for death in Chinese, so four dishes are seldom ordered. Likewise in the Canton area seven dishes are seldom ordered as it is a custom there to eat seven dishes the day after a funeral. Largely such customs are ignored now apart from on special occasions, and Westerners would certainly not be expected to follow them.)

What to order — Try Different Dishes

Try to order a range of different dishes if there are a number of people eating, including different types of meats and vegetables. Soup/broth (汤 tang /tung/) is an almost customary starter in China. Sweet desserts are not a tradition in China, but the caramelized banana/apple or steamed buns with condensed milk dip are available at many restaurants.

Dumplings Dumplings

Ordering Dumplings

Chinese dumplings (饺子jiǎozi /jyaoww-dzrr/) are a favorite with Westerners and some restaurants specialize in just dumplings. About 20 or 30 is usually enough for a meal, 40 if you're really hungry. Dumplings are ordered in (traditionally bamboo) trays called long of 10 or 20 dumplings. So you can say yī lóng (一笼 /ee-long/ 'one tray') followed by your choice of filling to order. Popular fillings include pork (猪肉zhūròu /joo-roh/), beef (牛肉niúròu /nyoh-roh/), cabbage (白菜báicài /beye-tseye/) and garlic chives/leek (韭菜jiǔcài /jyoh-tseye/).

Phrase Chinese Pinyin Pronunciation
Chinese dumplings 饺子 jiǎo zi jyaoww-dzrr
One tray 一笼 yī lóng ee-long
Pork stuffing 猪肉馅 zhū ròu xiàn joo-roh sshyen
Beef stuffing 牛肉馅 niú ròu xiàn nyoh-roh sshyen
Cabbage stuffing 白菜馅 bái cài xiàn beye-tseye sshyen
Garlic chives/leek stuffing 韭菜馅 jiǔ cài xiàn jyoh-tseye sshyen

Ordering Steak

Large cities in China have steak restaurants usually with English menus, but still without English-speaking staff. If you feel short of meat (which you probably won't in China) or are missing Western food they are a satisfying option.

Phrase   Chinese Pinyin    Pronunciation   
Steak 牛排 Niú pái nyoh-peye
Well done 全熟 Quán shú chwen-shoo
Medium well 七分熟 Qī fēn shú chee-fnn-shoo
Medium 五分熟 Wǔ fēn shú woo-fnn-shoo
Medium rare 三分熟 Sān fēn shú san-fnn-shoo
Rare 一分熟 Yī fēn shú ee-fnn-shoo

Ordering from Fast Food Restaurants

You may decide to try China's fast food restaurants. There are familiar names like MacDonald's and KFC, but the food is not always the same. Milk shakes, for example, are hard to find in the south. There are also many chains with distinctly Chinese names and flavors (typically more spicy). Alternatively you could point at one of the foods or set meal options displayed in vivid colors above and on the counters.

Phrase Chinese Pinyin Pronunciation
Beef burgers 牛肉汉堡 niú ròu hàn bǎo nyoh-roh han-baoww
Chicken burgers 鸡肉汉堡 jī ròu hàn bǎo jee-roh han-baoww
Fries 薯条 shǔ tiáo shoo-tyaoww
Coke 可乐 kě lè ker-ler

Recommended Chinese Food Tour

Order FoodOur guide is helping guest to order food.

If you are planning a Chinese tour, please see our Chinese food tour below for inspiration. Our tour guide can help you order in Chinese restaurants, or teach you how to order.

Not interested in the above tour? Just tell us your interests and requirements, we will create a Chinese food tour you.

More Articles on Chinese Food

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