Cafe and restaurant in Mandarin Chinese
A table, the menu, what you cannot eat, and a compliment to the kitchen. Play the ten Mandarin Chinese words against the clock, with a note on how locals really use each one after every answer. All ten are written out below.
All 10 Mandarin Chinese phrases in this lesson
- 两位lyang-WAY
- A table for two
- 菜单，谢谢tsai-DAN, SHYEH-shyeh
- The menu, please
- 有什么推荐？yoh SHUN-muh tway-JYEN
- What do you recommend?
- 我不吃...wo boo CHIR
- I don't eat...
- 我对...过敏wo dway ... gwo-MIN
- I'm allergic to...
- 肉roh
- Meat
- 鸡肉jee-ROH
- Chicken
- 鱼yoo
- Fish
- 好吃how-CHIR
- It's delicious
- 干杯gan-BAY
- Cheers
Literally "two persons" using the polite counter. The greeter asks 几位 (jee-WAY), how many? Hold up fingers and say liǎng wèi. You will be led, seated and handed tea within seconds.
Càidān on its own is just the noun "menu", so pair it with a 谢谢 or a 请 to make it a request. Most urban restaurants now use a QR code on the table: scan, browse photos, order and pay by phone. It is brilliant for foreigners, every dish has a picture and no talking is required.
我不吃肉 (wo boo chir ROH), I don't eat meat. Many vegetable dishes are cooked with meat stock or lard.
On its own it usually means pork.
Sounds like 余 (yoo), surplus, so a whole fish is served at New Year.
Literally "good to eat". The emphatic 太好吃了 (tai-how-CHIR-luh), SO delicious, is the compliment that makes any chef or host beam. For drinks it becomes 好喝 (how-HUH).
Literally "dry the glass", and at a formal dinner people mean it: bottoms up. Toast elders first, and clink your rim BELOW theirs to show respect. If the toasts turn to báijiǔ, pace yourself, it is 50 percent alcohol.