Learn to order in a Japanese restaurant even if you are not in Japan! If you like the food of this country, you have come to the right place!
Steps
Step 1. Check to see if the restaurant has an online menu
If so, print it out and show it to the people you know, maybe they can explain what the different dishes consist of.
Step 2. Find out about prices
To do that, you say Kore wa ikura desu ka? (pronounced "kore wa ikura des ka?") means "How much does this cost?".
Step 3. Learn the numbers (so you will understand what the waiters are saying or what is written on the menu):
ichi (一) = 1; ni (二) = 2; san (三) = 3; shi / yon (四) = 4; go (五) = 5; roku (六) = 6; shichi / nana (七) = 7; hachi (八) = 8; kyuu (九) = 9; juu (十) = 10; hyaku (百) = 100; sin (千) = 1000. The numbers add up like this: 19 is made up of 10 + 9, so it's juu-kyuu (十九). 90 corresponds to 9 times 10, so it is kyuu-juu (九十). 198 is hyaku-kyuu-juu-hachi (百 九 十八); it seems unpronounceable, but break it and you will see that what the Japanese do make a lot of sense. 1198 is sen-hyaku-kyuu-juu-hachi (千百 九 十八).
Step 4. Order your food
You can call the staff by saying Onegaishimasu ("onegaishimas", "I beg your pardon") or Sumimasen ("sumimasen", "excuse me"). Many more elegant restaurants also have a button to press to call your waiter.
Step 5. Do your best to read and pronounce the items on the menu if you want
In case it doesn't work, you can also point them with your finger and the waiter will understand. If you are in the company of Japanese friends, ask them to read them beforehand or have them order for you.
Step 6. When specifying the quantities of something you want, remember these words
Hitotsu (one), futatsu (two), mittsu (three), yottsu (four), itsutsu (five), muttsu (six), nanatsu (seven), yatsu (eight), kokonotsu (nine) and toh (ten). If you want more than ten units of something, specify using normal numbers: juichi, juni, jusan, etc.
Step 7. After you have indicated the food on the menu and the quantity you want, complete your order with Onegaishimasu to be polite
If you are in a public fast food restaurant, use Kudasai. Thus, the complete sentence would be like this: Yakitori septum or hitotsu, kudasai ("A dish of roast chicken please").
Step 8. Once you have ordered and received the food, if they ask you for Daijobu desu ka?
answer Hai. They asked you "Is everything okay?", To which you will answer "Yes".
Step 9. Don't pass food to another person between your chopsticks; this is done during a funeral, when family members pass the bones of the dead relative between chopsticks
If you really have to pass food, do it discreetly and with the end of your chopsticks that you are not using to eat (in case they are decorated, this is the part with a pattern).
Step 10. If you are eating noodles, do it loudly, this is normal
Step 11. Do not place the chopsticks upright in a bowl of rice
This is only done at funerals.
Step 12. Say Itadakimasu before you eat, which means "I receive (this meal)"
Step 13. To express your pleasure at the end of the meal, say Gochisoosama deshita, which means "I ate well"
Oishikatta desu means "It was all good".
Step 14. It's a bit old fashioned, but very polite, if after paying for the meal you tell the waiter Gochisosama deshita
In this context it indicates your gratitude for the meal.
Advice
- If you're enjoying what you eat and want more, the word to ask someone to refill your plate is Okawari. Remember to add Onegaishimasu.
- Before the meal, use the moistened placemat that will inevitably be given to you. It is used to clean hands before and during the meal.
- It's okay to request a fork if you're not comfortable with using chopsticks.
- If you go to Japan, do not try to write the words as indicated in this article, the spelling of which was done with the Hepburn Romaji system (whose phonetics suit Western speakers), not the traditional Kunrei-shiki Romaji system used by Japanese, therefore there may be problems of understanding.
- In some cases it is extremely rude to eat sushi with a fork. Between friends, you can use your hands.
- Drink Japanese green tea or sake with your meal. It is more authentic and the Japanese may respect you more for trying to observe their customs while you eat. If you don't like these drinks but the diners are sipping them, you can take a few small sips (but don't finish them, they could fill the glass out of habit); so you will not be insulted for being too gaijin ("foreigner").
- When in doubt, observe your company and the people at the other tables.
Warnings
- If you take any leftovers home, remember that raw fish should be eaten as soon as possible, and should be cooked or thrown away after the first day of preparation.
- Make sure you are saying the right words so you don't offend anyone. Listen carefully to those around you to understand how different words are pronounced.
- Get familiar with the weirdest parts of Japanese cuisine if you're not adventurous. That way, if you read イ か (ika, “squid”) or な っ と う (nattou, fermented soybeans known for their bad smell) on the menu, you can safely and politely avoid them.
- If Japanese people don't frequent a restaurant, this place may not be highly rated.
