Ordering & Eating Out
How restaurant ordering actually works in China — QR-code menus, family-style sharing, spice levels, the fees that appear on your bill, and just enough etiquette and drinking culture to stay comfortable.
The short version
Most restaurants now expect you to scan a QR code on your table, order from your phone, and pay in the same flow — no waiter needed until the food arrives. Order roughly one dish per person plus a staple and share everything family-style. Ask "là ma?" (辣吗? — is it spicy?) before ordering anything unfamiliar, never tip, and know that the wet towel and the tea poured automatically are usually not free.
QR-code ordering, start to finish
- Scan the code on your table
Use WeChat's or Alipay's Scan function. The restaurant's mini-program opens with a photo menu — no app download. The code is tied to your table number, so food finds you.
- Translate the menu
Menus are photo-heavy, which helps. For the text, long-press inside WeChat to translate, or use a translate-camera app on the screen. Look for 招牌 (signature dish) tags.
- Add dishes and submit
Tap items into the cart, set quantities, submit. Some places let everyone at the table scan and add to one shared order.
- Pay in the same flow
Most QR systems take payment at submission via WeChat Pay or Alipay — your linked foreign card works. Some places let you order first and pay at the counter after.
- No QR code? Order the old way
Point at the menu photos or at other tables' dishes — completely normal. Useful phrases: "zhège" (这个, this one) and "nǐmen de tèsè cài shì shénme?" (what's your specialty?).
How much to order
The family-style rule
- Dishes go in the middle and everyone shares — order about one dish per person plus a soup or staple, then add more if needed.
- Rice (米饭 mǐfàn) is usually a separate ¥2–3 item at sit-down places, not automatic.
- Portions vary hugely by region: northern dishes can feed 2–3 people each (order fewer), Cantonese plates are small and refined (order more).
- Many places do half portions (半份 bàn fèn) at ~60% price — great for trying more dishes.
- Leftovers? Asking for a box (打包 dǎ bāo) is expected and completely normal.
Spice: read the room before you order
The scale
- 微辣 wēi là = mild · 中辣 zhōng là = medium · 特辣 tè là = very hot. Calibration is regional: Sichuan's "mild" is most people's "spicy".
- Regional baselines — Sichuan/Chongqing: numbing-hot (麻辣, the peppercorn numbs your mouth); Hunan: pure heat; Cantonese/Shanghai: barely any; Beijing: mild.
- Chili oil hides in sauces that don't mention it. When unsure, ask "là ma?" (辣吗?).
Say it / fix it
- No spice: 不要辣 (bù yào là) · Less spice: 少放辣 (shǎo fàng là) — show the characters on your phone.
- Mouth on fire: milk or yogurt works best; rice and sugar help; water makes it worse. Suanmeitang (酸梅汤, sour plum drink) is the local remedy.
Etiquette that actually matters
The few real rules
- Never stand chopsticks upright in a bowl of rice — it mirrors funeral incense and genuinely shocks people. Lay them across the bowl or on the rest.
- Use the serving chopsticks/spoons (公筷) for shared dishes, not your own.
- Let the host or eldest person start eating first at a hosted meal.
- When someone pours your tea, tap two fingers on the table — a silent thank-you.
- No tipping, anywhere. It causes confusion rather than gratitude; upscale places may add a service charge instead.
Nobody will mind
- Slurping noodles — it reads as enjoyment.
- A loud dining room — noise means the restaurant is good.
- Dishes arriving in random order — kitchens send food when it's ready, not in courses. Start eating.
- Leaving a little food — at a hosted meal it even signals the host ordered generously. Finishing your rice, though, is good form.
- Small mistakes in general — everyone knows you're a visitor and will cut you slack.
Drinking culture: surviving "ganbei"
If you're invited to a banquet or business dinner, expect baijiu (白酒) — clear grain liquor at 40–60% alcohol. "Gānbēi" (干杯) literally means "dry the cup": when someone toasts you with it, you're expected to finish the glass. You don't have to keep up.
- Say "suíyì" (随意 — at your own pace) to sip instead of draining the glass. It's an accepted opt-out.
- The bulletproof refusals: "wǒ kāichē" (我开车 — I'm driving) or a health/medication excuse. Both end the pressure politely.
- When clinking glasses with someone senior, hold your glass slightly lower than theirs — a small gesture that earns real goodwill.
- At a hosted dinner: the host orders, the host toasts first, and the host pays. Offer once politely, then accept — fighting over the bill embarrasses everyone.
Finding food locals actually eat
Signals of a good spot
- A queue of locals at off-peak hours — Chinese diners wait for good food, not hype.
- No English menu, handwritten dishes on the wall, loud room: a restaurant cooking for locals.
- Walk 2–3 blocks away from any major attraction — prices drop and quality jumps.
- Street breakfast (6–9 AM) is the most authentic meal of the day; tourists sleep through it.
- Streets near universities: cheap, fast, authentic, mostly under ¥20.
Common questions
Practical
Can I drink the tap water?
No, nowhere in China. Bottled water is ¥1.5–3 at any convenience store, and hot water (开水) from dispensers is boiled and safe.
The QR menu is asking me to log in or follow the restaurant. Do I have to?
Usually you can skip the follow/membership prompts and order as a guest. If the flow truly blocks you, just flag a waiter and point at the menu — staff ordering always works.
Why is the bill ¥88 when the dishes added to ¥97?
Bills are sometimes rounded down to lucky-8 endings. It's a discount, not an error.