Chinese Vocabulary: Restaurant Dining

Chinese food is popular world-wide, but nothing beats the real deal.

If you travel to China or Taiwan, you will undoubtedly want to sample the fabulous cuisine. There is a range of Michelin star restaurants like Ryugin Taipei in Taipei or T'ang Court in Shanghai. Of course, there are also more affordable but equally as delicious restaurants, eating halls, and food stalls that are scattered throughout. 

This list of restaurant dining vocabulary will help you communicate with waiting staff so you can express any dietary preferences. That way you can order a dish that you will enjoy! Or do you need another pair of chopsticks or an extra napkin? You can ask for these items after learning these new words.

Click on the link in the Pinyin column to hear the audio file.

General Terms

Utensils 

Dietary Restrictions

Food Items and Ingredients

Here is some more vocabulary for Chinese food.

Sentence Examples 

Now that you have learned these new Mandarin vocabulary words, let's put them together. Here are a few sentences you may often hear in a restaurant. You can try saying them yourself or use create your own sentences.

Fúwùyuán, wǒ kěyǐ zài ná yīshuāng kuàizi ma?
服務員，我可以再拿一雙筷子嗎？
服务员，我可以再拿一双筷子吗？
Waiter, can I get another pair of chopsticks?

Wǒ bùyào wèijīng。
我不要味精。
I don't want MSG.

Wǒ hěn xǐhuan chī zhūròu!
我很喜歡吃豬肉!
我很喜欢吃猪肉!
I really like to eat pork!