Culinary Adventures: How to Order Food & Drinks in Japanese Restaurants
Easily order food and drinks in Japanese restaurants!
Here is a useful guide on how to order food and drinks in a Japanese restaurant with key phrases and etiquette:
Getting Attention
- To call a waiter/waitress, say: すみません (Sumimasen) — “Excuse me.”
Ordering Food and Drinks
- Use the phrase: [Food/Drink name] + を (wo) + [quantity] + お願いします (onegaishimasu) or ください (kudasai) — both mean “please.”
- Example: ラーメンを一つお願いします (Ramen wo hitotsu onegaishimasu) — “One ramen, please.”
- For drinks: ビールをお願いします (Biiru wo onegaishimasu) — “I would like a beer, please.”
- Quantity words: 一つ (hitotsu) for one, 二つ (futatsu) for two, etc., are commonly used.
- At casual places like izakayas, simply saying the quantity + item is common, e.g. 生中一つ (Namachu hitotsu) — “One medium draft beer.”
Asking Questions
- To ask what something is: それは何ですか？ (Sore wa nan desu ka?) — “What is this?”
- To ask for recommendations: オススメは何ですか？ (Osusume wa nan desu ka?) — “What do you recommend?”
Other Useful Phrases
- 注文をお願いします (Chuumon o onegai shimasu) — “I’d like to order.”
- もう一つください (Mou hitotsu kudasai) — “One more, please.”
- おかわりください (Okawari kudasai) — “Another serving, please.”
- すくなめでお願いします (Sukuname de onegaishimasu) — “Less, please” (often for rice portions).
- When done ordering: とりあえず、以上です (Toriaezu, ijou desu) — “That’s it for now.”
Etiquette
- It is common and polite to say いただきます (Itadakimasu) before eating, meaning “I humbly receive.”
- You may raise your hand while saying “sumimasen” to get attention.
- In many restaurants, you might find a call button or an ordering tablet on the table to place orders.
This concise set of phrases will help navigate typical ordering scenarios in Japanese restaurants and izakayas confidently.