How can I order a good meal without speaking Chinese?

At a glance

• Shanghai's official delivery guide names Meituan's 外卖 food section, 提交订单 for submitting an order and 订单备注 for an order note. These labels help distinguish ordering controls from a dish name. [1]
• The same guide describes photographs and English translations as aids on some restaurant menus; keep the Chinese item name visible when asking staff about it. [1]
• Three useful requests are 这个, this one; 不要辣, no chilli/spice; and 一份, one portion. Point to the dish while saying or showing the request.
• For an allergy, tell restaurant staff and check ingredients before eating; a translated dish title alone does not answer the ingredient question. [2]

What to do next

1. Before leaving the hotel, save a short food request and any specific dietary card offline. Choose a nearby first meal with photographs, a display counter or staff who can show you the menu, so you can eat without solving a difficult app signup at the same time.
2. Look at the original Chinese menu alongside the translation. Point to the exact photograph or item and ask what the main ingredients are. For an unfamiliar dish, confirm meat or fish, bones or shells, and whether it is spicy.
3. Order a manageable amount first. For two people, try a main dish, a vegetable dish and rice or noodles if that suits your appetite; add more after seeing the portions. Ask whether a listed quantity is one piece, one plate or a set before choosing several.
4. Show the dietary request before the kitchen starts. Ask staff to confirm the broth, sauce and garnish when those affect what you can eat. If an essential ingredient question remains unresolved, choose a simpler dish or a restaurant that can answer it clearly.
5. Review the order with staff or on the final checkout screen. Check dish count, size, optional additions and the total. For QR ordering, make sure the table or pickup mode is correct before paying.
6. Pay through the restaurant's supported route and keep the receipt. If the QR menu cannot be used with your account, ask for staff ordering and a merchant payment code rather than repeatedly creating new orders.

If your situation is different

You are alone: ask for a smaller portion or a single-person set and inspect what it includes. A large shared dish can still be enjoyable, but decide whether you want leftovers before ordering several dishes.

The menu is entirely digital: ask staff to open the menu or place the order with you. Keep control of your own payment approval and check the amount before confirming it.

You avoid spice: show no chilli rather than selecting mild automatically. Ask separately about chilli oil, pepper and sauces if those matter to you; removing a visible garnish does not change a spicy base.

You have a food allergy: use your specific allergy card and action plan. Treat ingredient confirmation as a separate conversation from taste preferences, and do not rely on simply picking a dish that looks plain.

Common mistakes

• Translating the whole menu and losing the original item: keep the Chinese name and picture beside the translation so staff know which dish you mean.
• Ordering one of every interesting picture: start with a small selection and add after seeing the portions.
• Using no spicy as an allergy message: name the actual ingredient and explain the restriction clearly.
• Paying twice when the screen is unclear: show the completed order or payment record before trying again.

Quick questions