How to Order Food at Restaurants in China

What will constitute the most memorable moment during your travels in China? Savoring some delicious Chinese food may be among the contenders! In ordering food, however, you might become frustrated by the language barrier and by confusing Chinese menus without pictures or English. Let’s see if we can help you.

Reading the Menus

 

A Chinese Menu with Pictures

Menus with pictures provide the easiest way to order food at a Chinese restaurant. Simply use your fingers to point and show how many you want of each dish. This will well help you avoid language barriers.

Some restaurants provide English or Chinglish menus. But watch out for interesting or weird names on the menu; for example, “Buddha Jumping Over the Wall”, “Ants Climbing A Tree”, “Century Egg”, etc. These may confuse you if you don’t know anything about Chinese food.

If you are sitting at a restaurant with neither pictures nor English on the menu, and the staff doesn’t speak English at all, why not either download on your phone some screenshots of common Chinese dishes you would like to try (see below) or look around to see what other people are eating and point to whatever looks good.

Note: There is a huge variety of dishes in China. If you ask for a menu, many restaurants will present you with a small book of what is on offer. If you find it difficult to decide, ask the staff for recommendations.

Our local guide will help you order a standard Chinese dinner and experience the culture of authentic Chinese dining. Are you ready to create a food tour in China?

How Many Dishes to Order?

 

Number of Dishes

Unlike western menus dividing into “lunch” and “dinner”, Chinese menus separate dishes into “appetizers”, “staple foods”, “specialty dishes”, “vegetables”, “soup”, “beverages” …

A “three-course meal” is not customary in China. You usually have one course, with several dishes. Generally, it is the norm to order one more dish than the number of people eating. For instance, when four people are eating, you would usually order five dishes. In Chinese dining culture, to order a little too much demonstrates generosity and hospitality.