Complete Chinese food and restaurant vocabulary: dishes, ingredients, cooking methods, ordering phrases, dietary restrictions. Never point at a menu again.
我要这个 (wǒ yào zhè ge) — I'll have this. 请推荐 (qǐng tuī jiàn) — Please recommend. 不要辣 (bú yào là) — No spicy. 打包 (dǎ bāo) — To-go/takeout. 买单 (mǎi dān) — Check please. 很好吃 (hěn hǎo chī) — Very delicious. These 6 phrases cover 90% of restaurant interactions.
炒 (chǎo) — stir-fried. 蒸 (zhēng) — steamed. 煮 (zhǔ) — boiled. 炸 (zhá) — deep-fried. 烤 (kǎo) — roasted/baked. 烧 (shāo) — braised. 红烧 (hóng shāo) — red-braised (soy sauce). 清蒸 (qīng zhēng) — steamed plain. 麻辣 (má là) — numbing spicy (Sichuan). Seeing 水煮鱼 (shuǐ zhǔ yú) on a menu? Now you know it's boiled fish.
米饭 (mǐ fàn) — rice. 面条 (miàn tiáo) — noodles. 饺子 (jiǎo zi) — dumplings. 包子 (bāo zi) — steamed buns. 豆腐 (dòu fu) — tofu. 鸡蛋 (jī dàn) — egg. 牛肉 (niú ròu) — beef. 猪肉 (zhū ròu) — pork. 鸡肉 (jī ròu) — chicken. 鱼 (yú) — fish. 虾 (xiā) — shrimp. 蔬菜 (shū cài) — vegetables. 汤 (tāng) — soup. 茶 (chá) — tea. 啤酒 (pí jiǔ) — beer. And 火锅 (huǒ guō) — hot pot, the most social Chinese dining experience.
我不吃肉 (wǒ bù chī ròu) — I don't eat meat. 我吃素 (wǒ chī sù) — I'm vegetarian. 我对XX过敏 (wǒ duì XX guò mǐn) — I'm allergic to XX. 不要放味精 (bú yào fàng wèi jīng) — No MSG. 少油 (shǎo yóu) — Less oil. 微辣 (wēi là) — Mild spicy. These can save you from a meal-ruining experience. Chinese restaurants are usually happy to accommodate — just ask clearly.
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