How to Order in Taipei Restaurants is a question that pops up on foreigners’ mind when they first arrive in Taipei. But, honestly, how to order food in Taiwan is something that should rank high on your list of questions that need to be answered before getting ready to travel or settle in Taiwan. This article is based on my past dining experiences in restaurants in Taipei and lists out the useful tips for how to order in Taipei restaurants.
Yes, sure, it’s easy to nod, smile, and point around at food that you think looks great. But, when it arrives on your plate looking like something completely different, or it just smells like something you won’t enjoy, then it’s time to up your game and learn some crucial Chinese in order to order exactly what you want to eat.
I have been into many restaurants (admittedly, less so now as English comprehension seems to be consistently improving across the island) to the look of blank faces. Many restaurants that have the colour printed menus with the pictures on them are newer ones that come with all the bells and whistles, but don’t deliver that classically Taiwanese food that you may be searching out. If you have ever walked into a restaurant excited about what to expect, but have never been able to access the full menu, then this post is for you!
Read more for how to order in Taipei restaurants like a true pro!
Read more about Food and Places to visit in Taipei:
The Ultimate Guide to 15 Amazing Xiao Long Bao Restaurants in Taipei
Taipei street food: 15 of the best food stands you should eat, and where to find them.
Not just Bubble Tea? A quick 101 lesson about other fantastic drinks in Taiwan.
Where Can You Find the Best Taiwanese Breakfast? here are my 2024 top picks!
7 unforgettable Taipei Places to visit in 2024 if you only have 48 hours!
Table of Contents
How to Order in Taipei Restaurants?
One way would be to sign up to a Food tour on Klook and get a feel for what kind of food you like by trying a bunch of options, first. Some great tours are linked below for you to consider:
Alternatively, if you have a few months, a bit of money, and a lot of energy to spare, then I would recommend ShiDa’s Mandarin Training Center – I had a great 3 terms there, and learned loads. But, it isn’t for everyone, and that’s fine. I took class for 2hrs each morning 5 days a week, worked in the afternoon, studied for a further 2 hours late afternoon, then worked in the evenings. It was a busy ol’ time, but I genuinely believe that the investment in your future in Taiwan is worth it.
However, if you want to go it alone, then this article is for you!
Now that I have been there, done that, and flexed my Mandarin muscles, let me help you guys out, by helping you in a few basics of how to order in Taipei restaurants.
Going in to the restaurant.
So, you’ve seen a restaurant you like, because you’re a fan of this site, but you don’t yet know how to order in Taipei restaurants. You’re off to a shaky start, but you’re feeling weirdly confident. You’ve arrived and you don’t know what to do:
Scenario 1
There’s a line, but you don’t know whether to first take a number, or to just get in line. If you get in line but you don’t take a number, then you’re lining up for nothing. So, best thing to do is to just ask the person at the back of the line:
内用需要排隊嗎？Nèi yòng xū yào pái duì ma?
This translates as: To eat in, do I need to line up?
A swift nod of the head or a point inside will probably do the trick.
Scenario 2
There’s no line and you’re feeling great, so you walk in and all of a sudden you’re confronted with a front-of-house who is just speaking too quickly for you to decipher. You have no idea how to order in Taipei restaurants. Simply say:
内用( number)位 – Nèi yòng (number) wèi
This translates as: (number) to eat in.
This may seem rude, and you may want to add a please or a thank you, but it simply isn’t necessary, or even expected.
At this point you’ll either be told something like:
這邊請 zhè biān qǐng (this way, please) or 稍等一下shāo děng yī xià (please wait a moment)
When you’re shown to your table, then a quick thank you is always a win, though – 謝謝 xiè xiè
Scenario 3
It’s closed. But you don’t know when it opens…
There’ll most likely be a sign on the window that will have the information on. But can you read it? Now it’s not only about how to order in Taipei restaurants, but it’s also about being able to read some potentially difficult Chinese. No problem. Let’s take a look at some examples of phrases/words that may be on the sign below:
Days of the week:
週一/星期一/禮拜一 Monday
週二/星期二/禮拜二 Tuesday
週三/星期三/禮拜三 Wednesday
週四/星期四/禮拜四 Thursday
週五/星期五/禮拜五 Friday
週六/星期六/禮拜六 Saturday
週日/星期日/禮拜日/天 Sunday
公休 or 休息 – Closed
You’re most likely to find that places closed on a Monday or a Wednesday, therefore expect to see something like:
禮拜一公休/休息 ‘Closed on Monday’
or
禮拜三公休/休息 ‘Closed on Wednesday’.
Ordering
I get nervous ordering now, in all honesty. There are some times when you sit down and it’s food you’ve not ordered before, or the restaurant is so busy that they don’t have time to humour the dilly dallying foreigner who’s speaking in broken Chinese. Have no fear, here are some tips on how to order in Taipei restaurants:
To call the waiter/waitress over: A simple wave of the hand is often all that’s needed. Taiwanese aren’t necessarily about shouting and ordering the server around as may be the custom in other places…
Reading the menu:
By far the most difficult part. Reading the menu can, without a doubt, be a stress-inducing experience. But it doesn’t have to be.
Taking a look at this menu, it’s broken up into 5 parts:
炒飯類Chǎo fàn lèi – Fried Rice
炒麵類chǎo miàn lèi – Fried Noodles
湯麵類tāng miàn lèi – Noodle Soup
湯類tāng lèi – Soup
熱炒類rè chǎo lèi – Stir-fried
I feel like this is quite typical of a lot of Taiwanese restaurants. While they may not be specifically sectioned off like in the menu above, they are highly likely to have all of these types of dishes on a menu somewhere.
So, you’ve identified if you want rice, noodles, soup noodles, soup, or a stir-fried dish. Next thing to identify is the meat you want:
牛肉 niú ròu – Beef
豬肉 zhū ròu – Pork
鷄肉 jī ròu – Chicken
羊肉 yáng ròu – Lamb
鴨肉 yā ròu – Duck
鵝肉 é ròu – Goose
魚 yú – Fish
But wait, the server has just thrown a spanner in the works. You ordered some sort of soup noodles, and they’ve asked you something you’ve not understood/anticipated, what should you do? How to order in Taipei restaurants:
你想吃什麽麵呢? nǐ xiǎng chī shén me miàn ne?
What type of noodles do you want with it?
Looking a the menu above, there are 3 types of noodle on offer:
烏龍麵 wū lóng miàn – Udon Noodles
油麵 yóu miàn – Oily noodles
白麵 báimiàn – Plain noodles
But there are way more types that could be on offer:
麵線 miàn xiàn – rice noodles/vermicelli
寬麵 kuān miàn – wide noodles
細麵 xì miàn – thin noodles
板條 bǎn tiáo – thick, chewy noodles
刀削麵 dāo xiāo miàn – thick noodles
My favourite noodle dish?
牛肉麵 (刀削麵) niú ròu miàn (dāo xiāo miàn)
Beef Noodle soup with thick noodles
When the server arrives at your table, this is how to order in Taipei restaurants:
我想要點餐 wǒ xiǎng yào diǎn cān – I am ready to order
This isn’t 100% necessary, but I feel like it’s a more polite way of how to order food in Taiwan, rather than just barking out your order.
From there, go head and order to the best of your ability by using this guide on how to order in Taipei restaurants. Most Taiwanese are very nice and polite, and I am sure they will be accommodating of you. Pointing at the items on the menu is acceptable, but using the information above will help you to know more about what you are going to be ordering.
You’re finished.
So you’ve finished your meal, and you’re getting ready to pay. What do you do next?
This took me some getting used to in Taiwan. In the UK, you often ask for the bill at the table, then pay from your table. However, more common practice in Taiwan is to go up and pay at the cash register.
Scenario 1 – at some places you have to pay before you eat. So it’s always a good idea when you’ve ticked what you want on the menu to either be prepared with the money, or ask:
請問是先買單嗎？qǐng wèn shì xiān mǎi dān ma?
Should I pay first?
Scenario 2 – Your bill is already on your table. Just take it up to the register and pay as you would normally.
Scenario 3 – Your bill isn’t at the table yet, so you need to ask for it. This isn’t just about how to order in Taipei restaurants, but you also have to think about what to do after you’ve finished ordering.
我要買單 wǒ yào mǎi dān – I want the bill
Now, let’s talk about politeness once again. Shouting out 買單 seems relatively acceptable here, but I don’t like it. The Britishness in me won’t ever let me do this, no matter how long I live here for. I don’t know whether it is all in my head or not, but adding that 我要 onto the front just negates some of the rudeness I feel when settling the bill.
You’ve got you bill at the table, just take it up and settle at the register.
I’m British. I am polite, and I pride myself on being polite. I will often use thank you’s and please’s when using Chinese. Whilst it isn’t necessary, I feel like it’s part of my home culture that I will perhaps never lose, and I am OK with that. If you want to fully integrate into Taiwanese culture, then feel free to omit the ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ from anything when ordering.
I hope you guys have enjoyed reading this post on ‘how to order in Taipei restaurants’, and that this has helped you to feel a little more confident when getting ready to go to a restaurant, reading the menu, ordering, and settling the bill.
If you have liked this post on how to order in Taipei restaurants, then please comment below and follow for more up-to-date information on new posts coming out, or check out my Instagram or Facebook page for more regular updates.
