Chinese Menu Decoder
Chinese dish names usually combine ingredient + cut + cooking method + sauce or place/style. Translate those parts instead of trusting a literal machine translation of the full name.
Use this ordering workflow
- Scan the table QR code with WeChat or Alipay; ask staff for a paper menu or manual order if login fails.
- Screenshot the menu and use image translation. Do not grant an unknown mini-program unnecessary contacts or identity access.
- Identify the protein and cooking method.
- Check portion, unit, spice and hidden animal ingredients.
- Order a small first round and confirm the cart before paying.
If the QR page requires a mainland phone number, say 可以帮我点吗？ (Can you help me order?) and point to the items. Watch the pickup screen or receipt number in counter-service shops.
Cooking methods
| Chinese | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 炒 | chǎo | stir-fried |
| 烧 | shāo | braised/cooked in sauce |
| 红烧 | hóngshāo | soy-based red braise |
| 清蒸 | qīngzhēng | steamed with light seasoning |
| 煮 / 水煮 | zhǔ / shuǐzhǔ | boiled; “water-boiled” Sichuan dishes can be very spicy/oily |
| 炖 / 煲 | dùn / bāo | slow-cooked/stewed or clay-pot cooked |
| 烤 | kǎo | roasted or grilled |
| 炸 | zhá | deep-fried |
| 凉拌 | liángbàn | cold dressed dish |
| 干锅 | gānguō | dry pot, often oily and spicy |
“Fish-fragrant” (鱼香) is a Sichuan sweet-sour-aromatic seasoning and usually contains no fish, while “ant climbing a tree” is minced meat with glass noodles. A poetic name cannot confirm ingredients.
Proteins and parts
- 猪 / 牛 / 羊 / 鸡 / 鸭: pork / beef / lamb / chicken / duck
- 鱼 / 虾 / 蟹 / 贝: fish / shrimp / crab / shellfish
- 肉丝 / 肉片 / 肉末: shredded / sliced / minced meat
- 排骨 / 五花 / 里脊: ribs / belly / tenderloin
- 肚 / 肠 / 肝 / 血: stomach or tripe / intestine / liver / blood product
- 素 / 斋: vegetarian-style, but stock, lard and oyster sauce still require checking
Spice words
辣 is hot; 麻 is numbing; 麻辣 combines both. 香辣 is aromatic-hot, 酸辣 sour-hot and 剁椒 chopped-chile seasoning. 微辣 is the lowest named spice level but remains subjective.
Use 不要辣 for no chile, and separately say 不要花椒 if numbing pepper is also a problem. A serious allergy cannot be solved by requesting “less.” Show a bilingual diet card from the diet card generator and ask about shared oil, stock and utensils.
Price and portion traps
- 份 / 例: one portion.
- 位: per person.
- 斤 / 500克: per 500 grams; 两 is 50 grams.
- 时价: market price—ask the unit, weight and total.
- 起: starting from.
- 小/中/大份: small/medium/large portion.
Ask 一共多少钱？ before a market-price item is prepared.
Words on the QR ordering screen
| Chinese | Meaning | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| 规格 | size or variant | Pick 小份 (small) for a first round. |
| 半份 | half portion | Useful for solo diners. |
| 辣度 | spice level | 不辣 / 微辣 / 中辣 / 特辣: not spicy / mild / medium / very hot. |
| 忌口 / 备注 | dietary restrictions / order note | Type 不要香菜 (no coriander) or paste a line from your diet card. |
| 加料 | add-ons | Extra toppings are charged one by one. |
| 套餐 | set meal | Often better value for one person. |
| 已售罄 | sold out | Pick another item. |
| 2份起售 | minimum order of two | Common for skewers and dumplings. |
| 提交订单 / 去结算 | submit order / go to checkout | Check the cart total before paying. |
Extra charges on the bill
These small add-ons are common, especially in Guangdong and in chain restaurants:
| Item | Typical charge | What you can do |
|---|---|---|
| 茶位 (chá wèi): tea or seat charge | ¥2–10 per person | Guangdong pricing guidelines say these extras must be disclosed in advance and left to the customer's choice. Local market regulators have ordered restaurants to refund tea charges forced on diners who refused the tea. Say 不要茶 when you sit down if you don't want it. |
| 纸巾 (zhǐjīn): packet of tissues | ¥1–2 | Leave it unopened or say 不要纸巾. |
| 餐具 (cānjù): sealed plastic-wrapped tableware set | ¥1–3 | Charges for disposable sets should be shown or mentioned. Ask before you open it. |
| 打包盒 (dǎbāo hé): takeaway box | ¥1–2 per box | Normal when you take leftovers away. |
| 米饭 (mǐfàn): rice | ¥2–3 a bowl, sometimes self-serve | Rarely included automatically. |
| 服务费 (fúwù fèi): service charge | Often 10% | Usual in hotels and upscale restaurants; in Hong Kong this is the "plus one" (加一). |
These amounts are small, but check the printed bill (台单) against what you ordered.
- If a charge you refused still appears, point at it and say 这个我没要.
- On the mainland, an unresolved dispute can go to the local consumer hotline, 12345 or 12315.
Build a balanced table
For three or four people, start with one cold dish, two hot dishes with different methods, one vegetable and one staple or soup. Avoid five oily mains merely because each photograph looks good. Rice may not be included automatically; order 米饭 by bowl.
Essential phrases
- 有什么推荐？ — What do you recommend?
- 这个是什么肉？ — What meat is this?
- 不要猪肉/花生/海鲜。 — No pork/peanuts/seafood.
- 我严重过敏，会去医院。 — I have a severe allergy and could need hospital care.
- 请少油、少盐。 — Please use less oil and salt.
- 可以打包吗？ — Can this be packed to take away?
Final rule
Translate ingredients and methods, not just dish names. Confirm high-risk ingredients and units with a person before payment, especially when allergy, religion or market-price seafood is involved.