Eating in China without reading the menu
Regional food, how to order when nothing is translated, and what the bill really says.
Food is the part visitors remember and the part that makes them anxious: menus with no pictures, dishes that arrive in the wrong order, and chilli where none was mentioned. None of it is rudeness — it is a different service model, and once you know the model you eat better for less money.
These pages cover what to order in each region, how to deal with an entirely Chinese-language menu, and the small etiquette that gets you better treatment in a crowded room at 7pm.
Xi’an: The Wall, The Warriors, And How Many Days It Takes
Warriors before 09:00, the wall at sunset, three days covers it comfortably.
Chengdu: Pandas, Hotpot, And The Gateway To Western Sichuan
Pandas by 08:00, hotpot after dark, and two days minimum before you head west.
Chongqing: A City With No Flat Ground
Go for the nights: Hongya Cave, the cableway and a hotpot at midnight.
Luoyang: Longmen Grottoes And The Peony Two Weeks
One and a half days, or two if you come for the peonies in late April.
Eating In China When You Read Nothing On The Menu
Point at what the next table is eating. It works better than any app.