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Food & Dining

How to Order Food in China Without Speaking Chinese

Practical strategies for eating well in China โ€” QR menus, pointing, translation apps, and key phrases.

๐Ÿ“… May 2025โœ๏ธ ChinaTripMate Teamโฑ 7 min read

Contents

  1. How Ordering Works in Chinese Restaurants
  2. Using Google Translate for Menus
  3. Essential Food Phrases
  4. Tipping in China
  5. Must-Try Dishes by City
  6. Travel Cards

How Ordering Works in Chinese Restaurants

Most Chinese restaurants (especially mid-range and above) have QR code menus on the table. You scan the code, browse a digital menu with photos, and order on your phone. Payment is also via the same QR code system.

  1. 1Scan the QR code on the table with WeChat or your phone camera
  2. 2Browse the menu โ€” photos make it easy to navigate
  3. 3Select items, confirm the order, and pay via WeChat Pay or Alipay
  4. 4Food arrives at your table โ€” no need to wave down a server
  • โœ“If there is no QR menu, use Google Translate camera mode to photograph the paper menu
  • โœ“Point at dishes you want โ€” Chinese restaurant staff are used to this

Using Google Translate for Menus

Google Translate's camera mode (Lens) can translate printed Chinese menus in real time. Download the Chinese language pack offline before your trip.

  1. 1Open Google Translate โ†’ tap the camera icon
  2. 2Point it at the menu โ€” translations appear overlaid on screen
  3. 3The translations are imperfect but good enough to understand what a dish contains
  4. 4Use this for street stalls, local restaurants, and anywhere without photos
โš ๏ธ

Machine translations of food can be literal and confusing ("husband and wife beef" is a classic dish, not what it sounds like). When in doubt, ask for a recommendation.

Essential Food Phrases

A few key phrases will dramatically improve your dining experience in China.

  1. 1ไธ่พฃ (bรน lร ) โ€” No spice/not spicy
  2. 2ๅพฎ่พฃ (wฤ“i lร ) โ€” Slightly spicy
  3. 3ๅฅฝๅƒ๏ผ(hวŽo chฤซ) โ€” Delicious! (locals love hearing this)
  4. 4ๆˆ‘ๆœ‰่ฟ‡ๆ• (wว’ yว’u guรฒmวn) โ€” I have an allergy
  5. 5ไนฐๅ• (mวŽi dฤn) โ€” Check please
  6. 6ๆ‰“ๅŒ… (dวŽ bฤo) โ€” Takeaway/pack it up

Tipping in China

Tipping is not customary in China and can actually cause confusion or embarrassment. Do not tip in restaurants, taxis, or hotels.

โš ๏ธ

If you try to leave a tip, the server will often chase you down to return it. This is not rudeness โ€” tipping is simply not part of Chinese dining culture.

Must-Try Dishes by City

Each Chinese city has signature dishes worth seeking out.

  • โœ“Beijing: Peking duck, zhajiang noodles, jianbing crepe
  • โœ“Xi'an: Roujiamo, biangbiang noodles, yangrou paomo
  • โœ“Shanghai: Xiaolongbao (soup dumplings), red-braised pork, scallion oil noodles
  • โœ“Chengdu: Mapo tofu, dan dan noodles, Sichuan hotpot
  • โœ“Chongqing: Original Sichuan hotpot, spicy crayfish, noodles in broth
๐Ÿƒ

Travel Cards โ€” Show These to Locals

Save these cards on your phone and show them directly to taxi drivers, restaurant staff, or anyone who can help.

๐Ÿœ Restaurantโ€”No Spice Request

ๆ‚จๅฅฝ๏ผๆˆ‘ไธ่ƒฝๅƒ่พฃ๏ผŒ่ฏท้—ฎๆœ‰ไธ่พฃ็š„่œๅ—๏ผŸ่ฐข่ฐข๏ผ

Hello! I cannot eat spicy food. Do you have any non-spicy dishes? Thank you!

Tip: Show this card at any restaurant before ordering, especially in Sichuan and Chongqing where spicy food is the default.

โš ๏ธ

Note: Please verify current restaurant hours and availability as these change regularly.

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๐Ÿ“ Beijing๐Ÿ“ Shanghai๐Ÿ“ Chengdu๐Ÿ“ Xian
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