Restaurant Ordering and Food Expressions

Expressions for Using a Restaurant

Conversations in restaurants consist of fixed expressions that staff and customers mainly use. The expressions differ by situation, such as ordering, choosing, requesting, apologizing, and paying, so they should be learned separately for each situation.

Staff ask about the order with “주문하시겠어요?” (Would you like to order?) or “뭐 드릴까요?” (What can I get for you?), and customers state the menu item and quantity together. “-시겠어요?” (-sigesseoyo?) is an expression that politely asks about the other person's intention.

In a restaurant, food and drinks are asked about separately. If a drink is not needed, the customer can decline with “음료는 괜찮아요” (No drink for me, thanks) and ask only for water. One glass of water is not counted in the number of dishes.

The unit of quantity used when ordering depends on the type of food.

• 1인분 (one serving) — A unit used to count food as one person's portion. e.g., 비빔밥 1인분 주세요. (Bibimbap, one serving, please.)
• 한 그릇·한 공기·한 접시·한 잔 (one bowl, one bowl of rice, one plate, one glass) — Noodles and stews are counted by the bowl, rice by the bowl (gong-gi), meat by the plate, and drinks by the glass. e.g., 냉면 한 그릇 주세요. (Naengmyeon, one bowl, please.) 물 한 잔 주세요. (One glass of water, please.)

If the menu has a choice of options, staff ask in the form “A와 B 중에 어떤 걸로 드릴까요?” (Which one would you like, A or B?). Customers choose one of the two and answer, for example, “안 매운 걸로 주세요” (Please give me the one that is not spicy). The question “따뜻한 걸로 드릴까요, 차가운 걸로 드릴까요?” (Would you like it warm or cold?), which asks about temperature, has the same structure.

To a question that offers two ways of handling something, such as “A를 드릴까요, 아니면 B로 해 드릴까요?” (Shall I bring A, or shall I make it B instead?), the answer must choose one of the two options to fit the question. Saying another solution that was not offered or giving an unrelated comment makes the answer inappropriate.

The form of a suitable answer depends on the type of question. A question about a place, such as “계산은 어디에서 해요?” (Where do I pay?), must be answered by naming a place, and “-시면 돼요” (-simyeon dwaeyo) is an expression that guides the method or place. When an offer is made, the customer responds by accepting or declining, such as “네, 좋아요” (Yes, that's good). Mentioning an item or time unrelated to the offer makes the answer incorrect.

When food is delayed, staff first inform the customer with “조금 늦어지고 있어요” (It is getting a little late) or “늦어질 것 같습니다” (It seems it will be delayed). Customers can ask “얼마나 기다려야 해요?” (How long do I have to wait?). Staff sometimes also explain the reason for the delay, such as saying that an ingredient has run out.