Explaining the Menu in Chinese: Key Vocabulary for Staff

For restaurant staff, explaining the menu clearly is a key part of great service. When guests speak Chinese, knowing how to describe dishes, ingredients, and flavors in Mandarin helps guests order with confidence and reduces mistakes and misunderstandings.

The good news? You don’t need advanced Chinese. Learning core food vocabulary and simple sentence patterns is enough to explain most menus professionally.

Below is a practical guide to key Chinese vocabulary restaurant staff can use to explain menus clearly.

1. Basic Menu & Ordering Vocabulary

These are foundational words every restaurant staff member should know.

• 菜單 (càidān) – menu
  
• 主菜 (zhǔcài) – main dish
  
• 前菜 / 開胃菜 (qiáncài / kāiwèicài) – appetizer
  
• 甜點 (tiándiǎn) – dessert
  
• 飲料 (yǐnliào) – drinks
  
• 推薦 (tuījiàn) – recommend

Useful sentence:

• 這是我們的菜單。
  This is our menu.
  
• 這道是本店推薦。
  This dish is a house recommendation.

2. Explaining Ingredients

Guests often ask what a dish contains especially for preferences or allergies.

Common ingredient words:

• 牛肉 / 豬肉 / 雞肉 – beef / pork / chicken
  
• 海鮮 – seafood
  
• 蔬菜 – vegetables
  
• 米飯 / 麵 – rice / noodles
  
• 起司 / 奶製品 – cheese / dairy

Helpful phrases:

• 這道菜有＿＿＿。
  This dish contains __.
  
• 主要食材是＿＿＿。
  The main ingredient is __.

3. Cooking Methods (Very Important)**

Cooking style strongly affects guest choices.

• 炸 (zhá) – fried
  
• 煎 (jiān) – pan-fried
  
• 烤 (kǎo) – grilled / baked
  
• 蒸 (zhēng) – steamed
  
• 燉 (dùn) – stewed
  
• 炒 (chǎo) – stir-fried

Example:

• 這道是用烤的。
  This dish is grilled.

4. Describing Taste & Flavor

Describing flavor helps guests choose confidently.

• 辣 (là) – spicy
  
• 甜 (tián) – sweet
  
• 鹹 (xián) – salty
  
• 酸 (suān) – sour
  
• 清淡 (qīngdàn) – light / mild
  
• 重口味 (zhòng kǒuwèi) – strong flavor

Useful sentence:

• 這道菜比較清淡。
  This dish is lighter in flavor.

5. Portion Size & Sharing

Guests often ask about portion size.

• 一份 (yí fèn) – one portion
  
• 適合分享 (shìhé fēnxiǎng) – good for sharing
  
• 份量比較大 (fènliàng bǐjiào dà) – large portion

Example:

• 這道菜適合兩個人分享。
  This dish is good for sharing between two people.

6. Spicy Level & Customization

Customization questions are very common.

• 要辣嗎？ – Do you want it spicy?
  
• 少辣 / 不辣 – less spicy / no spicy
  
• 可以調整口味 – flavor can be adjusted

Example:

• 辣度可以調整。
  The spice level can be adjusted.

7. When You’re Not Sure

Never guess, checking is always better.

Polite phrases:

• 我幫您確認一下。
  Let me check for you.
  
• 我向廚房確認。
  I’ll confirm with the kitchen.

Why Menu Explanation Skills Matter

Being able to explain the menu in Chinese helps restaurant staff:

• Reduce ordering mistakes
  
• Improve guest confidence
  
• Handle dietary needs safely
  
• Increase guest satisfaction
  
• Appear more professional and knowledgeable

Even basic vocabulary makes a noticeable difference.

Practice Menu Explanations with Confidence

Memorizing words helps but real confidence comes from practice.

With TutorABC Chinese, restaurant professionals can:

• Practice menu explanation role plays
  
• Learn food and service vocabulary
  
• Improve listening and speaking accuracy
  
• Study flexibly around shift schedules

Build confidence in explaining menus in Chinese. Book a free level placement session with TutorABC Chinese today.

FAQ: Explaining the Menu in Chinese

1. Do restaurant staff need advanced Chinese to explain the menu clearly?

No. Restaurant staff don’t need advanced Chinese. Using basic food vocabulary, cooking methods, and simple sentence patterns is usually enough to explain most dishes clearly and help guests order with confidence.

2. What menu-related Chinese vocabulary should staff learn first?

Start with ingredients (meat, seafood, vegetables), cooking methods (fried, grilled, steamed), and taste descriptions (spicy, mild, sweet). These cover the majority of guest questions about the menu.

3. What should staff do if they’re unsure how to explain a dish in Chinese?

Never guess. Politely tell the guest you’ll check with the kitchen. Phrases like 「我幫您確認一下」 (Let me check for you) or 「我向廚房確認」 (I’ll confirm with the kitchen) are professional and well accepted.