How to Order Food in China: 25 Must-Know Phrases for Restaurants and Street Food
Order food in China like a local. 25 must-know Chinese restaurant phrases with pinyin, characters, and real usage tips for street food and night markets.
How to Order Food in China: 25 Must-Know Phrases for Restaurants and Street FoodUpdated June 2026 · 5 min readFood is arguably the best reason to visit China. From hand-pulled noodles to dim sum, Sichuan hotpot to soup dumplings — Chinese cuisine is endlessly diverse. Most local restaurants have Chinese-only menus and staff who do not speak English. Here are 25 phrases that will unlock China's incredible food scene for you.At a Restaurant — Getting Seated and OrderingChinesePinyinEnglishNote几位Ji wei?How many people?The host will ask you this两个人Liang ge renTwo peopleYour answer有位子吗You wei zi ma?Do you have seats?Entering a busy restaurant我要点菜Wo yao dian caiI would like to orderFlagging down a server这个Zhe geThis onePointing at a menu item来一份Lai yi fenOne serving of thisOrdering a dish推荐什么Tui jian shen me?What do you recommend?Asking for best dish招牌菜是什么Zhao pai cai shi shen me?Signature dish?Specialty restaurants菜单Cai danMenuAsking for a menu我要米饭Wo yao mi fanI want riceBasic staple order好吃Hao chi!Delicious!Complimenting the chefStreet Food and Night MarketsChinesePinyinEnglishNote这是什么Zhe shi shen me?What is this?Pointing at mystery skewer辣的还是不辣的La de hai shi bu la de?Spicy or not spicy?They will ask you不辣Bu laNot spicyYour safe answer加辣Jia laAdd spiceIf you are brave打包Da baoTakeaway / To goTaking food with you一串Yi chuanOne skewerAt BBQ stallsDietary Restrictions and AllergiesChinesePinyinEnglishNote我是素食者Wo shi su shi zheI am vegetarianNote: may include eggs/dairy我不吃肉Wo bu chi rouI do not eat meatMore explicit我对花生过敏Wo dui hua sheng guo minI am allergic to peanutsCommon ingredient不放味精Bu fang wei jingNo MSG pleaseFor sensitive travelers有没有海鲜You mei you hai xian?Does this contain seafood?Shellfish allergiesPaying the BillChinesePinyinEnglishNote买单Mai dan!Check please!Most useful phrase in this list可以刷信用卡吗Ke yi shua xin yong ka ma?Can I pay by credit card?Before ordering分开付Fen kai fuSplit the billDutch treat一起付Yi qi fuPay togetherOne person covers allPractice These Phrases Before Your TripFlowChinese AI pronunciation coach will help you nail the tones so you order like a local on day one. Download Free on App Store