The two minutes before you order are the ones that decide whether you enjoy the meal. What's in it, how hot it is, how big it is, and what the kitchen can leave out.
1. What's actually in it
Mei: What's in the green curry?
Staff: Chicken, aubergine, basil and coconut milk.
Mei: Any fish sauce?
Staff: A little. I can ask them to leave it out.
Mei: Please do.
Staff: I'll write it on the order.
2. Something you can't eat
Dan: I'm allergic to shellfish. Is the soup safe?
Staff: The base has prawns in it, so no.
Dan: Thank you for checking.
Staff: The tomato one is fine, and so is the bread.
Dan: I'll take the tomato.
3. No milk, no butter
Priya: We don't eat dairy. Is anything cooked in butter?
Staff: The potatoes are. The rice isn't.
Priya: Could the potatoes be done in oil instead?
Staff: Easily. Same dish, different pan.
Priya: Then we'll have those.
4. How hot is hot
Tom: Is it spicy?
Staff: Medium. Two chillies on the menu.
Tom: Could they make it milder?
Staff: They can. It'll still have flavour.
Tom: Mild, then. I'm not brave tonight.
5. How much food is coming
Noor: Is the portion big?
Staff: It's a large plate. Most people don't finish it.
Noor: Then one between two?
Staff: That's what I'd do, with a salad.
Noor: One, and a salad. Thank you.
6. Before or with
Leo: Is that a starter or a main?
Staff: A starter, but people often take two as a meal.
Leo: And the lamb is a main?
Staff: It is, with potatoes underneath.
Leo: Two starters for me, then.
Staff: A good choice.
7. Sauce in a small bowl
Ivy: Could I have the dressing on the side?
Staff: Of course. Anything else separate?
Ivy: The onions, if that's not difficult.
Staff: Not at all. I'll put both in small bowls.
Ivy: That's perfect.
8. Letting the kitchen choose
Sam: What would you recommend?
Staff: The lamb, if you eat meat.
Sam: How is it cooked?
Staff: Pink in the middle, unless you'd rather it well done.
Sam: Well done, please. And the lamb it is.
Staff: I'll tell the kitchen.
Words to know
| allergic | Unable to eat something without becoming ill. The pattern is allergic to, and staff take it seriously, so say it plainly. I'm allergic to shellfish. |
| dairy | Milk, butter, cream and cheese, as one group. Easier than listing them. We don't eat dairy. |
| spicy | Hot with chilli. Say spicy, because hot on its own also means the temperature of the plate. Is it spicy? |
| portion | How much food comes on one plate. Ask Is the portion big? before ordering three dishes. Is the portion big? |
| starter | The small dish before the main one. Americans say appetizer. Is that a starter or a main? |
| main | The biggest dish of the meal. Short for main course. the lamb is a main? |
| on the side | Served in a separate bowl, not poured over the food. Could I have the dressing on the side? |
| well done | Cooked all the way through, with no pink left. The other steps are rare and medium. unless you'd rather it well done |
Quick practice
Complete each line with a word or phrase from this lesson.
1. Shellfish makes you ill and you need the kitchen to know.
“I'm ________ to shellfish.”
2. You avoid milk, butter and cheese as a group.
“We don't eat ________.”
3. You want to know how much chilli is in the dish.
“Is it ________?”
4. You are wondering whether one plate is enough for two people.
“Is the ________ big?”
5. You cannot tell whether the dish is a small one or a big one.
“Is that a ________ or a main?”
6. You would like the sauce in a separate bowl.
“Could I have the dressing ________?”
Show the answers
1. allergic 2. dairy 3. spicy 4. portion 5. starter 6. on the side
Common mistakes
Not: What is the composition of this dish?
Say: What's in the green curry?
Composition belongs in a chemistry lesson. In a restaurant the question is four words long: what's in it.
Not: Is this food hot?
Say: Is it spicy?
Hot means both burning your mouth and burning your fingers, so the answer you get may be about the plate. Spicy can only mean one thing.
Not: What do you propose?
Say: What would you recommend?
You propose a plan or a date. A person who knows the menu recommends a dish, and that is the word every waiter expects.
Your turn
Say these out loud. Change the dish, the thing you avoid and how hot you like your food, so the lines are true for you.
- Ask what is in a dish and ask for one ingredient to be left out.
- Tell the waiter about a food you cannot eat and ask whether a dish is safe.
- Ask whether the dish is spicy and ask for it milder.
- Ask how big the portion is and decide whether to share one.
- Ask for a recommendation, then ask how it is cooked.
Quick review
Five questions cover a whole menu. What's in it? Is it spicy? Is the portion big? Is that a starter or a main? What would you recommend? Two sentences handle the rest — I'm allergic to ________ and Could I have it on the side? Say the allergy first, before anything is cooked.