How to Order Food in Chinese

Restaurant Chinese starts with “我要……” and “请给我……”, useful for ordering and asking for items.

Swap “这个菜” with rice, water, or menu to practice different needs.

Use “买单” for paying the bill. Do not translate “buy the bill” word for word.

After entering a restaurant, if you do not have a menu, start with “请给我菜单”. If you cannot read a dish name, point to the picture or menu and say “我要这个菜”.

If you want a recommendation, ask “有什么推荐？” This is often more useful than trying to pronounce many dish names.

Many Chinese dishes let you set the spice level: “不要辣” (not spicy), “微辣” (mild), “中辣” (medium). To avoid an ingredient, say “不要香菜” (no cilantro), “不要葱” (no scallion), or simply “我不吃辣” (I don't eat spicy).

You can also ask about or state the portion: “大份还是小份？” (large or small) or “来一个小份”. If you are vegetarian, say “有素菜吗？” or “我吃素”.

Many restaurants now use a QR code on the table — you scan, order, and pay on your phone, so you will often see “扫码点餐”. For a paper menu, say “可以给我菜单吗？”

Before ordering, staff often ask “几位？” (how many people) and “喝点什么？” (anything to drink). Tea may be free or charged, and napkins are sometimes extra. To pay, scan the code or say “买单”; among friends you may hear “我请客” (my treat) or “我们 AA” (split the bill).

After eating, say “服务员，买单”. If you want leftovers packed, ask “可以打包吗？” For water, tissues, or chopsticks, use “请给我……”.

Restaurant Mandarin is not only about memorizing dish names. Learn request patterns like “请给我”, “我要”, and “可以……吗”, and you can handle most beginner situations.

You: 你好，两位. Staff: 里面请，扫码点餐. You: 可以给我菜单吗？ Staff: 好的. You: 这个辣吗？ Staff: 有点辣. You: 不要太辣，再来一碗米饭. Staff: 好的.

After eating, say “服务员，买单。可以扫码吗？” Listen once, then repeat line by line, swapping “这个辣吗” for “这个甜吗” or “这个咸吗”, and “米饭” for “饮料” or “汤”.

In Chinese restaurants, staff often ask “几位？” before giving you a table. You can answer “两位”, then say “我们先看看菜单”. When ordering, choose the main dish first, then add soup, drinks, and rice.

PandaKiko practices this in three rounds: order one dish, ask whether it is spicy, then confirm “就这些”. That is closer to a real table rhythm than memorizing five dish names at once.

Minute one is only for the core lines: “请给我菜单。”、“有什么推荐？”、“我要这个菜。”. Do not add new vocabulary yet; first make sure you can read the characters aloud and turn the English meaning back into Mandarin.

Minutes two to four change one real variable: place, quantity, time, person, or preference. In the final minute, close the page and say the idea with your own details. PandaKiko treats this guide as learned only when you can turn “请给我菜单。” into your own sentence.