Culinary Adventures: How to Order Food & Drinks in Japanese Restaurants

How to Order Food and Drinks in a Japanese Restaurant

Ordering in a Japanese restaurant is usually straightforward once a few key phrases and etiquette points are in place: greet politely, wait for guidance when needed, use sumimasen to get attention, and order by naming the item plus kudasai or onegaishimasu. In most casual restaurants, this is enough to ask for food, drinks, substitutions, and the bill without sounding abrupt.

Japanese dining culture tends to reward politeness, brevity, and clarity. A learner does not need perfect grammar to be understood; short, functional phrases are often more natural than long sentences. In speaking practice, this is exactly the kind of real-world interaction where repeated conversation drills build speed and confidence faster than passive memorization alone.

How to Order Food and Drinks in a Japanese Restaurant

Ordering food and drinks in a Japanese restaurant typically follows these steps and cultural tips:

• Greeting and Seating: Upon entering, customers are usually greeted with “Irasshaimase” (Welcome). Wait to be seated or seat yourself if it’s a casual setting.

  In small ramen shops, family restaurants, and izakaya, seating rules can differ. A host or server may direct customers to an open seat, while some casual places use self-seating. If there is a ticket machine at the entrance, the order is often placed there before sitting down.

• Menu: Menus can be physical or digital (sometimes QR code-based). You can ask for recommendations:

  • “Osusume wa nan desu ka?” (What do you recommend?)

  In many places, menus are visual and easy to follow, with photos, set meals, and seasonal specials. Recommended dishes may appear as osusume, while today’s specials may be marked separately. If the menu is hard to read, pointing is completely normal.

• Ordering Drinks:

  • To order drinks, you can say the drink name followed by “kudasai” (please). For example, “Beer kudasai” (Beer, please).
  • Common drinks include beer (biiru), sake (Japanese rice wine), tea (ocha), and soft drinks.

  In practice, drink orders often come first, especially in izakaya and group dining. Beer is usually biiru, green tea is ocha, and hot tea may be served automatically in some restaurants. If ordering alcohol, sake can mean Japanese rice wine, but the generic word for alcohol is osake.

• Ordering Food:

  • Pointing at the menu or using the item name, you can say the dish name + “kudasai” (please).
  • Examples: “Sushi kudasai” (Sushi, please), “Tempura onegaishimasu” (Tempura, please).
  • For multiple items, say the dish name then “to” (and) to link, e.g., “Sushi to miso shiru onegaishimasu” (Sushi and miso soup, please).

  Kudasai is simple and polite, while onegaishimasu sounds slightly softer and more natural in many service situations. Both are widely understood. When ordering several items, it is often easier to list them one by one with to between items, or to hold up fingers while pointing at the menu. For example:

  • “Ramen to gyoza onegaishimasu.”
  • “Kore to kore kudasai.” (This one and this one, please.)

• Asking about ingredients or requests:

  • “Nani ga haitteimasu ka?” (What does this have in it?)
  • To request no wasabi or less spice, say: “Wasabi nuki de onegaishimasu” (Without wasabi, please).

  Ingredient questions are especially useful for soups, sauces, and set meals, where items may include fish stock, egg, or sauces with hidden components. Other practical requests include:

  • “Niku nuki de onegaishimasu” (Without meat, please)
  • “Natto nashi de onegaishimasu” (Without natto, please)
  • “Karaku shinaide kudasai” (Please don’t make it spicy)

  In many restaurants, simple substitutions are possible, but complex changes may not be. Japanese service style often prefers brief, feasible requests rather than extensive customization.

• Calling the Staff:

  • If the staff does not come by, raise your hand slightly or say “Sumimasen” (Excuse me) politely to get attention.

  Sumimasen is one of the most useful words in Japanese dining because it works both as “excuse me” and “sorry.” A small wave or a quiet call is usually enough. Speaking too loudly is generally unnecessary and may feel out of place in a calm dining room.

• Paying the bill:

  • At the end, ask for the bill by saying “Okanjou onegaishimasu” (Bill, please).
  • Payment is usually done at the register rather than the table.

  In many Japanese restaurants, the bill is taken to the front desk or register area, especially in casual spots and chains. Some places bring a check, but table-side payment is less common than in many English-speaking countries. To signal that dining is finished, a simple okaikei onegaishimasu or okanjou onegaishimasu is usually enough.

Useful Japanese Phrases for Ordering

Japanese Phrase	English Translation
Irasshaimase	Welcome (greeting)
Osusume wa nan desu ka?	What do you recommend?
(Dish/Drink) kudasai	(Dish/Drink), please
Sumimasen	Excuse me / Sorry
Okanjou onegaishimasu	Bill, please
Nani ga haitteimasu ka?	What does this contain?
Wasabi nuki de onegaishimasu	Without wasabi, please
Mou sukoshi matte kudasai	Please wait a moment

A few additional phrases are especially practical in real restaurant situations:

Japanese Phrase	English Translation
Kore onegaishimasu	This one, please
Kore to kore onegaishimasu	This one and this one, please
Biiru o hitotsu kudasai	One beer, please
Ocha onegaishimasu	Tea, please
Kippu wa arimasu ka?	Do you have a ticket?
Anzaishiteimasu ka?	Is it reserved?

For learners, the most useful pattern is not a long sentence but a short formula:

• [Item] + kudasai
• [Item] + onegaishimasu
• Sumimasen to get attention
• Okanjou onegaishimasu to pay

This guidance equips someone unfamiliar with Japanese restaurant customs to order food and drinks smoothly and politely. The ordering process can vary slightly depending on the formality and style of the restaurant.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

A few small mistakes can make ordering feel less natural, even when the Japanese is understandable.

• Using overly direct commands: In English, “I want…” can sound neutral; in Japanese, a bare command may sound abrupt. Kudasai and onegaishimasu keep the request polite.
• Speaking too much English in a Japanese-scripted setting: Pointing, naming the item, and using a simple phrase is often clearer than explaining a preference at length.
• Assuming table-side payment: Many restaurants expect payment at the register, so looking for a card reader at the table can cause confusion.
• Over-customizing the dish: Restaurants can often remove wasabi or omit an ingredient, but they may not support major changes like separate sauces, altered cooking methods, or highly specific substitutions.

Quick Pronunciation Help

Japanese restaurant phrases are easier to use when the rhythm is clear.

• sumimasen is usually pronounced with even stress, roughly “soo-mee-mah-sen.”
• onegaishimasu is often said smoothly, not with heavy emphasis on each syllable.
• kudasai is short and clean, roughly “koo-dah-sigh.”
• osusume has a light rhythm: “oh-soo-soo-meh.”

Clear pronunciation matters more than sounding native. In fast service situations, a short phrase delivered confidently is often more effective than a perfect sentence spoken hesitantly.

Mini Ordering Examples

These examples cover common situations in Japanese restaurants:

• Ordering a drink:
  “Biiru kudasai.” — Beer, please.

• Ordering a meal and a drink:
  “Ramen to ocha onegaishimasu.” — Ramen and tea, please.

• Asking for a recommendation:
  “Osusume wa nan desu ka?” — What do you recommend?

• Asking about ingredients:
  “Nani ga haitteimasu ka?” — What does this contain?

• Requesting no wasabi:
  “Wasabi nuki de onegaishimasu.” — Without wasabi, please.

• Getting the bill:
  “Okanjou onegaishimasu.” — Bill, please.

When Japanese Is Not Enough

Many restaurants in major Japanese cities can handle basic English, especially in tourist areas. Even so, Japanese phrases often work better because they signal politeness and make the interaction smoother. If the menu is unfamiliar, pointing, showing a number, or using a translation app can fill the gap without disrupting the service flow.

The most reliable strategy is to combine a few memorized phrases with practical gestures: point at the item, say the name, and finish with kudasai or onegaishimasu. That small pattern covers most ordering situations in everyday Japanese restaurants.

References

• Smart QR-based Restaurant Dine-in System with Sales Analysis

• e-Restaurant: Online Restaurant Management System for Android

• Automatic Restaurant Food Ordering Menu Card

• IMPLEMENTATION OF QR CODES ON ICHIBAN SUSHI RESTAURANT’S DISH MENU ON ORDER TIME EFFICIENCY AND CUSTOMER SATISFACTION LEVEL