Food and Ordering in China

Eating in China is one of the best parts of the trip, but the menu wall is real: menus are often only in Chinese, many restaurants want you to order on your phone, and staff may not speak English. A working payment app, a few phrases and a translation app will get you through almost any meal.

Scan-to-order QR menus in Chinese restaurants

Many restaurants in China, from noodle shops to hotpot chains, have a QR code on each table instead of a paper menu. You scan it with WeChat or Alipay, a menu opens on your phone, you add dishes to a basket, and you pay in the app. The order goes straight to the kitchen, linked to your table number.

Tips for scan-to-order menus:

1. Set up WeChat Pay or Alipay with a foreign card before your trip; see Paying in China.
2. Scan the table code from inside the payment app rather than your phone’s camera.
3. Use a translation app’s camera mode on the screen if the menu has no English option, or take a screenshot and translate it.
4. Look for a “spice level” or “notes” field where you can ask for less chili or no cilantro.
5. If scanning fails, wave for a server (服务员 fúwùyuán) and point; most places will take an order by hand.

Some scan-to-order menus ask you to log in or share a phone number. If that blocks you, a server can usually enter the order for you.

Picture menus and pointing

Picture menus are common in casual restaurants in China, and pointing at photos is a perfectly normal way to order. Pointing at what other diners are eating works too, and staff are generally patient with it.

Useful words for pointing and ordering:

Portions in China are usually meant for sharing. Order a few dishes for the table plus rice (米饭 mǐfàn) rather than one main course each.

Ordering phrases in Chinese: spice, cilantro and the bill

A handful of ordering phrases in Chinese will solve most problems at the table. Show the characters on your phone if your tones don’t land.

“Mildly spicy” in Sichuan or Hunan can still be very spicy by most standards. If you really can’t handle heat, say 不要辣 bú yào là and choose dishes that aren’t red with chili oil. In restaurants with scan-to-order menus, you usually pay in the app and don’t need to ask for the bill.

Vegetarian food and allergies in China

Vegetarian and allergy-safe eating in China takes some preparation. The word for vegetarian food is 素食 sùshí, and “I’m vegetarian” is 我吃素 wǒ chī sù. Buddhist temple restaurants and dedicated vegetarian restaurants are the easiest options, and many cities have them.

Be aware that a vegetable dish may still be cooked in lard, finished with meat stock or topped with minced pork. Saying 不要肉 bú yào ròu (“no meat”) helps but does not always cover broth or sauces.

For allergies, carry a written card in Chinese and show it every time you order. A simple card might read:

我对花生严重过敏，请不要放花生。 Wǒ duì huāshēng yánzhòng guòmǐn, qǐng bú yào fàng huāshēng. “I am severely allergic to peanuts. Please do not add peanuts.”

Swap in the word you need: 坚果 jiānguǒ (nuts), 海鲜 hǎixiān (seafood), 虾 xiā (shrimp), 鸡蛋 jīdàn (eggs), 牛奶 niúnǎi (milk), 小麦 xiǎomài (wheat). Soy sauce contains wheat, so gluten-free eating is especially hard. If your allergy is severe, carry your own medication and read Health and safety.

Regional cuisines in China at a glance

China has many regional cuisines, and the food changes noticeably from city to city. A quick map:

• Beijing and the north: roast duck, dumplings (饺子 jiǎozi), hand-pulled and knife-cut noodles, lamb hotpot.
• Shanghai and the lower Yangtze: soup dumplings (小笼包 xiǎolóngbāo), pan-fried buns, sweet braised pork, delicate river fish.
• Sichuan (Chengdu, Chongqing): the numbing-spicy flavor called 麻辣 málà, hotpot, mapo tofu, dandan noodles.
• Shaanxi (Xi’an): wide biangbiang noodles, 肉夹馍 ròujiāmó (meat in flatbread) and the halal food of the Muslim Quarter.
• Guangdong (Cantonese): dim sum, roast meats, light soups and seafood.
• Hunan: hot, sour and smoky, often spicier than Sichuan food in a drier way.
• Xinjiang and the northwest: lamb skewers, flatbreads and big plates of noodles, often halal.

You’ll find most of these styles in any big city, so you don’t have to travel to Chengdu for a decent hotpot.

Food delivery apps in China: Meituan and Ele.me

Food delivery is huge in China, and Meituan and Ele.me are the two big platforms. Deliveries come fast and cover almost anything, from noodles to coffee to pharmacy items.

For foreign visitors, food delivery can be harder to use. In many cases the apps want a Chinese phone number to register or to let the rider contact you, and addresses must be entered in Chinese. Some visitors manage through mini programs inside WeChat or Alipay, but don’t count on it working with your setup.

Practical options:

• Ask hotel reception to help you place an order or to accept a delivery.
• Have your hotel address in Chinese characters ready; see Hotels and registration.
• If you have a local SIM with a Chinese number, delivery gets much easier; Internet and apps covers phone options.

Check before you go: Rules for registering and paying with a foreign phone number and foreign card change often. Test the app after you land rather than relying on it for your first meal.

Drinking water in China: boiled or bottled

Tap water in mainland China is not considered safe to drink straight from the tap. Drink bottled water or water that has been boiled. Brushing your teeth with tap water is generally fine for most travelers.

Most hotel rooms in China have an electric kettle, and many hotels provide free bottled water. Restaurants often serve hot water or tea by default; if you want room-temperature water, ask for 常温 chángwēn, and bottled mineral water is 矿泉水 kuàngquánshuǐ. Train stations, airports and many offices have hot-water dispensers (开水 kāishuǐ) where you can refill a bottle, so a heat-safe bottle is worth packing.

If you have a sensitive stomach, skip ice at street stalls and stick to sealed bottles.