Eating Out in China

In Beijing, you will find restaurants on every corner of a Chinese street. Chinese people love to eat out. In Chinese restaurants, you will be served authentic Chinese dishes. There are both Chinese and Asian cuisines in restaurants.

Is a Chinese menu really that Long?

In a Chinese restaurant, you will explore a huge menu with hundreds of Chinese dishes from different Chinese cuisines. The menu is like a big book with pictures of Chinese dishes and their English names. 

The local Chinese restaurants are often smaller than a typical American living room. They generally focus on a few typical Chinese dishes. In small local restaurants, menus are usually written in characters. You have to do your research and find the name of the recommended Chinese dishes. You can check the reviews in Beijing expat magazines or ask the waiter for a recommendation. 

How to Order if you don’t speak Mandarin?

If you don’t speak mandarin and there is no English name and dish pictured on the menu book, and you want to try a specific dish, show the waiter name of the dish in characters. Look around at the other tables and order the dish by pointing. While there are many apps you can use to translate menu items from characters into English. 

In small local restaurants, you have to speak at least some basic mandarin. It will avoid you being ignored and make you feel independent.

Dining Etiquette in a Chinese Restaurant

• In Chinese restaurants after being seated, you will be offered water first. You can drink the water. The water will be hot in the winter season. Just be warned Chinese people usually don’t like cold drinks in winter. 
• In cold weather, you will be served with warm beer or at room temperature. If you want a cold beer you can ask the waiter to serve you cold especially. Refill other member’s glasses before filling your own seem polite.
• Dishes are usually ordered for the entire family to share. Everyone has their own small bowl or plate in front of them. It is polite to put a nice piece of food into another person’s bowl. At a family dinner, it is uncommon to order your own dish. 
• You should try to fill your bowl first from the dish in front of you. Don’t eat from the dish plate, and don’t use your chopsticks to put food into your bowl. Don’t put too much food on your plate. You should act elegantly on the table. 
• When you refill your bowl you should ask your elders first whether they need to refill their bowl or not. If the initiative fills your bowl, you should thank him.
• Don’t eat up with open mouth, and chew food well before swallow it. Don’t eat up greedily. You should not put too much food into your mouth. It is best not to talk with your mouth full. 
• In most restaurants, tea is often served when you have a seat at the table and reading the menu. The waiter left the teapot on the table so the guests can fill their cups themselves.
• When some initiative fill your cup with tea and you have enough tea, by tapping the table with your first two fingers two or three times you can express your thank and stop pouring. 

Looking for Some Home-style Comfort Food?

If you want to take a break from Chinese food, you can move to the main expat areas where the non-Chinese cuisines are available. In these restaurants, the menus are in English and you can order your food speaking English. 

In Beijing, you can easily find American fast-food chains such as KFC, McDonald, and Pizza Hut. Their service staff may not speak English but often offer you a picture menu with English names. The ordering process is quite easy for foreigners.