Whenever you are in Tokyo, you should visit an izakaya (traditional pub) to taste the local food and drink! Unless you speak the language fluently, you may experience some anxiety when entering a Japanese store for the first time.
Is there anything you need to do? Can you help in any way? Here’s a scenario to get you ready for a night out or a few drinks at the local izakaya!
Then you can say “ごちそうさまでした” (gochisousama deshita – Thanks for the Food) “Gochisousama deshita – Thank you for the food” and walk out of the restaurant satisfied, having used Japanese to order your meal successfully – without looking foolish! You did a great job!
The fact that the server may ask you something that you don’t understand is quite intimidating, even if you order in Japanese at a restaurant. You might also say something misleading in my case. I understand the fear; it’s easy to say or agree to something stupid by mistake.
Since all restaurants follow the same format, you can easily master Japanese in a restaurant with just a few tips!
Which action should you take? What can you do to respond? You can enjoy an evening out by taking a look at this scenario.
What are restaurants in Japan like?
Choosing where to go is the first step. Could you give it a thought? Did you ever hear of any Japanese izakaya? Try your local restaurant – if you don’t have one, they can be found fairly easily! Food and drink pictures appear on most signboards.
In general, there are chain stores and individual stores, both of which have advantages and disadvantages.
You may be able to communicate faster with staff at a large restaurant. There may be English menus and pictures on the menus, not necessarily that they speak English. In addition, the staff is trained with set phrases and patterns, so it’s easier to predict what they’ll say.
Tables and spaces may be separated like private rooms, and there is little interaction with others. Depending on whether you want to mingle with locals or have a quiet evening on your own, that can be an advantage and a disadvantage.
What do they say when you enter a Japanese?
Near the entrance of most Japanese restaurants, you can see wax or plastic replicas of the dishes they serve. As well as enticing and informing patrons of the restaurant’s menu, these replicas tend to convey an accurate, visual representation of what is offered. Foreign tourists who cannot read or speak Japanese will especially benefit from the displays. Even if all other methods of communication fail, you can go outside and point at what you want.
The expression “Welcome to our restaurant” greets customers when they enter.
いらっしゃいませ “irasshaimase” means “welcome, please come in.”
You will be asked how many people are in your party before being directed to your table by the waiter or waitress. Seating is left to the discretion of the customer only in rare cases.
何名様ですか” Nanmei sama desuka” means How many people are in your party?
Then You can reply with the number of people:
一人です。”Hitori desu” 1 person
二人です。”Futari desu” 2 persons
三人です。”Sannin desu” 3 persons
Staff will direct you to a seat if one is available or ask you to wait a moment while a table is cleared.
In the next step, you will be led to a table with a hand gesture and a polite greeting.
“こちらへどうぞ” “kochira e douzo” means Please sit here.
You will be shown to your table by your waiter or waitress. You will be presented with a menu as soon as you sit down, sometimes accompanied by spoken instructions.
“メニューになります” menyuu ni narimasu means Here is the menu
If you want to request an English menu, you can say 英語のメニューがありますか。
The waiter will bring it for you. Normally, If you can’t speak Japanese, Look at the menu, and in almost every case, there are Pictures on the menu. You can point your finger to choose the one that you prefer.
How to order Food in Japanese
When your drinks are served, or after some time has passed, they will ask you.
“ご注文はお決まりですか?” (gochuumon wa okimari desu ka? – Have you decided what you want to order?).
The majority of Japanese dishes are small, so you normally state how many plates each dish will have along with what you want. You should specify how many of each item you want if you are ordering for several people.
For order, there are three parts: food item, number, and please.
For example, Food or drink を一つお願いします.”
(… wo hitotsu onegai shimasu – Can I have one of … please?).
If you were to ask for one set of skewered chicken, you would say “焼き鳥を一つお願いします” (karee wo futatsu onegai shimasu – one skewered chicken, please).
Once you place your order, the waiter will say “はい、少々お待ち下さい” (hai, shoushou omachi kudasai – Okay, please wait). Well done! The Food you ordered has been successfully delivered!
You can ask for more time if you aren’t ready yet by saying “もう少し時間を頂けますか?” (mou sukoshi jikan wo itadakemasu ka? – Would you mind giving me a little more time?). You can order if you know what you want!
You can always raise your hand if you need your server’s attention by saying
“すみません” sumimasen. Excuse me. You can also summon a server by pressing the call button on each table in many Japanese restaurants.
PRO TIP: Even though I can Speak Japanese with Japanese people but I don’t know much about Food, and I have no idea what is best for this restaurant.
I will ask for a recommendation. おすすめがありますか。
Then They will explain to you, and You will not look like a fool at all.
How to Order a Drink like a boss In Japanese
You can finally order a drink in Japanese with the simple sections in this article. The Japanese phrases below will allow you to order a drink in Japan without a phrasebook, slowed-down English, or ridiculous charades.
The word お願いします。 “please” stands out when ordering drinks in Japanese. Please don’t forget the importance of politeness in the language.
You can say Food or drink を一つお願いします“… wo hitotsu onegai shimasu – Can I have one of … please?).
ビールを一つお願いします。 Could I have a beer, please
ビール を にはい お願いします。Could I have Two beers, please!
You can also use this structure combined with another drink. I provide the standard list as below :
Tea Ocha おちゃ or お茶
Coffee Koh-hee コーヒー
Water O-mizu/ mizu おみず or お水
Beer Bee-ru ビール
If you Want to ask for another beer in Japanese, you can say
ビール、もう一杯ください or お願いします。
I say a lot of time because I’m strong and not finished with only One !!
Kudasai or onegaishimasu when ordering food
Onegashimasu is used to request an item or object. Also, you can use it when you want to speak with someone or ask for a service or favor from them.
kudasai means to order someone politely. A good example would be ビールをください。Beer, please. You can use ‘kudasai’ for an item as well, Kudasai is a more familiar request word in Japanese. When you know you are entitled to something, you use it. If you want something from a friend, peer, or someone of lower status or social rank than you, you will use kudasai.
But ‘onegashimasu’ is usually used when requesting an object. Whenever you order food at a restaurant, always say ‘onegashimasu.’ It means ‘water, please’ when you say ‘mizu wo kudasai’. You say ‘please give me some water’ when you say ‘mizu onegashimasu’. I prefer to say ‘onegashimasu’, but either way is acceptable.
How to ask for the bill in Japanese without looking foolish
A newcomer to Japan may find it challenging to eat out. In particular, if you have no idea where to begin with language. Finally, the Japanese language sometimes translates weirdly into English. This topic is not even covered in some textbooks!
Here a simple way to say Check Please in Japanese
- 会計をお願いします。 “Okaikei onegaishimasu
Generally speaking, kaikei refers to accounts rather than bills. Like in 会計 which means account. A common occurrence is to add an “o” to the front of the word, which is just the honorific to make it more formal. However, it always refers to something with an account attached (unlike my next suggestion).
This is the one you want to commit to memory. Say “Okaikei onegaishimasu” for “the bill, please”.
2.お勘定, おかんじょう, okanjyou
It is also called “Okanjyou” (sounds like “o-khan-joe”) when paying at a restaurant. I hear it about 30% of the time. What’s wrong with this option? In Japanese, you pronounce many words with kanjyou. In a Buddhist tradition, pouring water on a gravestone symbolizes emotion, defending a castle, or being aboard a warship.
The majority of those won’t apply to you unless you are getting super into the atmosphere at a ninja restaurant in Tokyo. Is it worth the risk? Option 1 is what I’d choose.
Take the bill to the cashier if it was placed on your table earlier.
What do Japanese people say when leaving a restaurant?
The experience of dining at a Japanese restaurant will be much smoother and more enjoyable if you know a few simple Japanese phrases. The phrases we have introduced so far are commonly used when entering restaurants or ordering. Here are some useful phrases to use during your meal and when leaving the store!
Tipping is not expected in Japan, and if you do, you will probably find the restaurant staff chasing you down for any money left behind. If you wish to go, you should say “gochisosama deshita” (“thank you for the meal”).
Try different restaurants next time you visit Japan with all the phrases you’ve learned so far!
How to Order Fast food Take-Out in Japanese
There is a takeout option available at many chain restaurants in Japan. Takeout can be a convenient option for most people who need a quick meal when they’re busy working. The purpose of this article is to teach us how to order food in a natural way.
To start off, Japanese uses two ways to say “takeout”: (o)mochikaeri (お持ち帰り) and teikuauto (テックアウト), the latter coming from English. Japanese signs usually use the former to indicate a takeout window or to tell passersby that they offer takeout.
Even if the restaurant does not display any of the above directions on its storefront, you can ask, “Takeout OK?” orお持ち帰りできますか。 “O-mochikaeri dekimasu ka?” Fast food restaurants are generally much easier, as they typically ask if you wish to dine in or takeout (Tennai de meshiagarimasu ka?)
Takeout food in Japan is dominated by bento boxes. Many people would not be content riding the shinkansen without a boxed bento lunch featuring rice and pretty much anything else you can imagine, such as vegetables, steak, chicken, and fish.
Bento boxes aren’t only available at train stations. Takeout menus at many restaurants offer bento box sets that you can order from convenience stores and supermarkets. The Hotto Motto and Origin Bento chain stores specialize exclusively in bento boxes.