How to Eat in China: Ordering, Menus, Dietary Needs & What to Try
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Chinese food is one of the best parts of visiting the country — and one of the most confusing if you can’t read the menu. The food itself is rarely the problem; the process is: menus in Chinese, ordering by QR code, and dishes that don’t match the names you know from back home. This page explains how it actually works, how to eat well, and how to stay safe with dietary needs.
The 30-second answer
- Ordering is done by QR code or pointing. Most restaurants have a QR code on the table; scan it with WeChat or Alipay to see the menu. When there’s no English, point at a photo or another table’s food.
- Pay with Alipay or WeChat Pay — the same apps you use for everything else (see the payment guide).
- Tipping is not expected anywhere, including restaurants. Leave it at home.
- Learn the phrases for your dietary needs before you go (vegetarian, allergy, no spicy) and show them on your phone.
- Tap water is not for drinking. Stick to bottled water, and be cautious with ice and unpeeled fruit from street stalls.
How ordering works
In most restaurants you’ll find one of two setups:
- QR-code menu — a small code on the table opens the menu in WeChat or Alipay. Many of these have an English toggle; if not, use your phone’s camera translation (see the connectivity guide for apps that work in China).
- Paper or picture menu — common in smaller, local spots. If there’s no English, point at a photo, or point at what a neighbouring table is eating. This works surprisingly well.
When there’s no picture and no English, the safest approach is to pick dishes from a short list you’ve saved in advance (see “What to try” below) and show the Chinese name on your phone.
Tip: translate the menu with your camera, but double-check the result — machine translation of dish names is famously creative. “口水鸡” (mouth-watering chicken) becomes “saliva chicken,” which is correct but alarming.
Paying
Restaurants run on the same payment rails as everything else in China. Alipay and WeChat Pay are accepted almost everywhere, from a street stall to a fine-dining room. Set both up before you fly — see the payment guide. Cash is accepted but increasingly rare, and credit cards only work at hotels and large international chains.
Do not tip. Tipping is not part of the culture, and in some places staff may chase you down to return it. A sincere “谢谢” (xièxie, “thank you”) is enough.
Dietary needs and how to communicate them
Chinese restaurants are getting better at accommodating diets, but the default cuisine is built on meat, fish, soy, and wheat — and “no meat” is not always understood to mean “no meat stock.” Show one of these on your phone:
| Need | Chinese | Pinyin |
|---|---|---|
| Vegetarian (no meat or fish) | 我吃素 | wǒ chī sù |
| No meat | 我不吃肉 | wǒ bù chī ròu |
| Allergic to peanuts | 我对花生过敏 | wǒ duì huāshēng guòmǐn |
| No spicy | 不要辣 | bú yào là |
| No MSG | 不要味精 | bú yào wèijīng |
A few practical notes:
- Vegetarian / vegan — Buddhist vegetarian restaurants (素菜馆) are easy to find in big cities and are a safe bet. Otherwise, “我吃素” plus a note that you also don’t eat fish or eggs works best.
- Halal — look for restaurants marked 清真 (qīngzhēn). Muslim-style noodle shops (牛肉面) are common in most cities.
- Allergies — serious allergies are less commonly catered for than in the West. Show the exact allergen in Chinese, and carry any medication you need.
- Spice — Sichuan and Hunan food can be extremely hot. “不要辣” (no spicy) is the single most useful phrase you’ll learn.
What to try
China’s regional cuisines are wildly different, and half the fun is trying them. A few famous ones worth knowing by name:
| Dish | Pinyin | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| 北京烤鸭 | Běijīng kǎoyā | Peking duck — crispy skin, pancakes, hoisin |
| 小笼包 | xiǎolóngbāo | Soup dumplings (Shanghai) |
| 火锅 | huǒguō | Hot pot — cook your own food in a shared broth |
| 饺子 | jiǎozi | Dumplings — boiled, steamed, or pan-fried |
| 宫保鸡丁 | gōngbǎo jīdīng | Kung pao chicken |
| 麻婆豆腐 | mápó dòufu | Mapo tofu — spicy Sichuan tofu |
Ordering a spread: Chinese meals are shared. Dishes arrive in the middle of the table and everyone serves themselves with the serving spoons or the reverse end of their chopsticks. As a rough rule, order one dish per person plus a soup or vegetable, and rice or noodles to fill in.
Street food and food safety
Street food is a highlight — night markets are some of the best eating in the country. A few safety habits go a long way:
- Eat where it’s busy. High turnover means food hasn’t been sitting out, and locals vote with their feet.
- Stick to cooked, hot food at first, especially meat and seafood. Let your stomach adapt before you push your luck.
- Bottled water only for drinking; tap water is not potable. Watch ice from street stalls, and peel fruit or wash it with bottled water.
- Carry tissues. Many restaurants don’t provide napkins, and you’ll thank yourself.
Table manners that matter
Chinese dining is relaxed, but a couple of customs will win you goodwill:
- Chopsticks: never stick them upright in a bowl of rice — it resembles funeral incense. Don’t point with them, and use the serving spoons for shared dishes.
- Toasts: if someone toasts you, raise your glass and take a sip. It’s polite to toast the host in return.
- Leaving food: it’s fine to leave a little; an empty plate can be read as “still hungry.” There’s no pressure to finish everything.
Pre-trip checklist
- Set up Alipay / WeChat Pay (see the payment guide)
- Save the Chinese phrases for your dietary needs (vegetarian / allergy / no spicy)
- Save the Chinese names of a few dishes you want to try
- Install a camera translation app that works in China (see the connectivity guide)
- Pack any allergy medication you need
Keeping this page accurate
Dining norms, payment options, and restaurant apps change over time. We keep this page up to date: the date below shows when it was last checked, and we refresh it whenever something changes. If you spot something outdated, contact us.