In the West you can order anyChinese foodwith 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 areno English speaking staffto help often or even English menus, and certainly no numbers. This page is designed to give you sometips and useful phrasesfor ordering food in China.
With China Highlights the hard work is taken out of ordering. We selectpopular 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 withChinese culturedirectly 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
- 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. Justpoint towhat you want and sayyi fen(一份 /ee fnn/ 'one portion'). In northern China 'one portion' is pronouncedyi 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 littleimpoliteand bizarre.
- Learn moreChinese phrasewith pinyin and pronounciation.
English/Chinglish Menus
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 isincorrectfactually, 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 sayyi fenas above.
OurChinese food menucovers 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 somecommonly orderedand favorite Chinesefoodsamong Westerners.
Dish | Chinese | Pinyin | 发音 |
---|---|---|---|
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 isyou mei you(有没有 /yoh-may-yoh/ 'Do you have ...?'). If the restaurant has it the reply will beyou(yes), if not thenmei you(no).
Common phrases
Phrase | Chinese | Pinyin | 发音 |
---|---|---|---|
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
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, sofour dishesare seldom ordered. Likewise in the Canton areaseven dishesare 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. Sweetdessertsare not a tradition in China, but the caramelized banana/apple or steamed buns with condensed milk dip are available at many restaurants.
Ordering Dumplings
中国饺子(饺子jiǎozi / jyaoww-dzrr /)是一个favoritewith 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 calledlongof 10 or 20 dumplings. So you can sayyī 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 | 发音 |
---|---|---|---|
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 withEnglish 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 | 发音 |
---|---|---|---|
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 morespicy). 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 | 发音 |
---|---|---|---|
Beef burgers | 牛肉汉堡 | niú ròu hàn bǎo | nyoh-roh han-baoww |
Chicken burgers | 鸡肉汉堡 | jī柔哈哈n bǎo | jee-roh han-baoww |
Fries | 薯条 | shǔ tiáo | shoo-tyaoww |
Coke | 可乐 | kě lè | ker-ler |
Recommended Chinese Food Tour
如果你计划中国之旅,请看到我们Chinese food tour below for inspiration. Our tour guide can help you order in Chinese restaurants, or teach you how to order.
- 12-Day Beijing, Xi'an, Chengdu, Guilin, and Hong Kong Cuisine tour— explore the most popular destinations in China and savorlocal Chinese foodin each city.
Not interested in the above tour? Just tell us your interests and requirements, we willcreate a Chinese food touryou.