Ordering Food and Drinks in Japanese

Culinary traditions of Japan.

Ordering food and drinks in a Japanese restaurant can be an exciting experience, especially when you're equipped with the right vocabulary and expressions. This unit will guide you through the process, from understanding the menu to asking for the bill.

Vocabulary Related to Food, Drinks, and Dining

First, let's familiarize ourselves with some common food and drink items you might find on a Japanese menu:

• 食べ物 (tabemono) - food
• 飲み物 (nomimono) - drink
• ご飯 (gohan) - rice
• 魚 (sakana) - fish
• 肉 (niku) - meat
• 野菜 (yasai) - vegetables
• ビール (bi-ru) - beer
• 水 (mizu) - water
• お茶 (ocha) - tea

Expressions to Order Food and Drinks

When you're ready to order, you can use the following expressions:

• これをください (kore o kudasai) - I'll have this, please.
• ～を一つください (~ o hitotsu kudasai) - I'll have one ~, please.
• メニューを見せてください (menyuu o misete kudasai) - Can I see the menu, please?
• お勧めは何ですか (osusume wa nan desu ka) - What do you recommend?

Asking for the Bill

When you're finished eating and ready to leave, you can ask for the bill with this phrase:

• お会計をお願いします (okaikei o onegaishimasu) - Can I have the bill, please?

Practice

To practice these new skills, try role-playing a dining scenario with a partner. One person can play the role of the customer, while the other plays the role of the waiter. Switch roles and repeat the exercise to get comfortable with both sides of the conversation.

By the end of this unit, you should be able to confidently order food and drinks in a Japanese restaurant. Remember, practice makes perfect, so don't be afraid to use these phrases next time you dine out!