Going out to eat in a restaurant in China will always be a memorable experience whether you were pleasantly surprised or not. Chinese food is amazingly varied and doesn’t resemble anything you have probably had in your home country. You will not find pork stuffed greasy egg rolls lined with shredded cabbage and carrots or breaded chicken fingers with a sweet pinkish glaze drizzled on top. I was heart broken to discover upon arrival to China that my dear kungpao shrimp, peeled and butterflied with spicy broccoli red sauce, was nowhere to be found.

The most important thing to remember when going out to eat in China is that you must have an open mind. There are probably many meats and surely parts that you have never seen before or can’t identify that you actually enjoy. The best way to get to know Chinese dishes is to go with a Chinese person who can introduce you to these delicacies. Being a bit squeamish myself, I have learned however, that if I enjoy eating mysterious looking meat, it’s best to let me enjoy my ignorance and not know what I am eating. Trying everything can open many new doors to good foods you hadn’t thought of. Note: I don’t recommend doing this if you are a vegetarian.

Photo: Andrea Hunt

First of all, pick a good place, Chinese people know where the good restaurants are; if there are no Chinese people there and it’s dinnertime and the waiters are asleep on the tables, then don’t go. Also be aware that during the week, dinnertime in China is between 5-8pm, for the most part, although in bigger cities people will stay later sometimes. Ask for a menu when you go in, some restaurants have a fabulous picture menu, which is a lifesaver for those who don’t speak Chinese. This reduces your communication to simple pointing, hand numbers and grunting instead of having to cluck like a chicken and fold your arm in a fluttering wing gesticulation. Or more usefully, maybe you can point to the corn in the picture instead of pretending to imitate Bugs Bunny gnawing on the corn on the cob in a typewriter like fashion. For those restaurants that don’t have a picture menu, there is always a constant element of surprise. You may find something new and delicious or grotesquely unfamiliar.

For those arriving to China, this section will make it a bit easier for you to order in a restaurant and give you a bit of insight:

First and foremost, I always recommend taking a peek at what the Chinese people are eating as you walk in and sit down, as well as those sitting at the table next to you. If it looks good, order it, saying “Wo xiang yao yi yang de.” Learn this phrase, and don’t be afraid to point to whatever they are eating. Chinese people seem to really get a kick out of seeing you eating and enjoying whatever they were eating so feel free. Remember, imitation is the highest form of flattery. I have even been invited by Chinese people to sit with them after doing this, for which I politely declined. If you can muster it up, try asking, “Na shi shen me?” which simply means, what is that?

Photo: Andrea Hunt

Carry a pocket Chinese phrasebook everywhere that has Chinese characters, this works wonders. If it doesn’t have characters in it, it is basically useless because most Chinese people don’t read pinyin and you will end up mooing at the table again instead of politely smiling and pointing to a page. Get used to looking up meats and vegetable and ordering that way. You can try your luck and say it but if they don’t understand then you are better off asking simple phrases like, ”Ni you mei you… (Point to meat or vegetable)…?” meaning, ”Do you have …?”  Usually, they will take the menu full of characters and point to a section with all beef dishes and ask you what you want. At this point you can randomly pick something or try or point to some vegetable or flavor in your book, like “spicy, garlic, sour, etc.” Keep in mind that most of the times meat is served on its own with just peppers, etc and not with a vegetable as it is outside of China. You won’t find chicken with snow pea pods, or beef with broccoli usually.

Chinese food in China is, well, different than what you are used to at home. If you are hungry to find out more on eating out in China’s restaurants, check out part 2 of our guide coming next time.
 

Related Links
Benjamin Ross' How to Order Chinese Food Dot Com
Wo Chi Su – Being a Vegetarian in China
Guide to Street Food

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