Restaurant language

[cstaylor]

Probably overly polite, but you could say "kekko desu" for not wanting a plastic bag, but for you average arubaito "ii desu" should be fine.

[Mulboyne]

[Choan]

I think it's more usually pronounced as mabo dofu in Japanese...

[Delinjapan]

yes that's it thanks!!

[jingai]

Probably overly polite, but you could say "kekko desu" for not wanting a plastic bag, but for you average arubaito "ii desu" should be fine.

And if they don't get it because it's such a rare request, you can add "fukoro wa kekko desu." I don't know how many hundred useless bags I refused.

[GomiGirl]

And if they don't get it because it's such a rare request, you can add "fukoro wa kekko desu." I don't know how many hundred useless bags I refused.

I say something like "sono mama ga ii yo" or if they have packed a bag when I haven't been paying attention, I take the thing (usually onigiri or a bottle of water) out of the bag and tell them "kekko desu". They are so used to me now in my regular combinis that they now don't even bother to try to give me a bag.

[jingai]

They are so used to me now in my regular combinis that they now don't even bother to try to give me a bag.

Sweet, you've got them trained.

[Delinjapan]

how you would translate "sono mama ii yo" in english (roughly)?

I was in a shokudo today and ordered the setto. I was then asked if I wanted Hiyashi tanuki soba or mori soba (I think).

The mori soba is the regular dipping soba, but the other one I'm not so sure, it seemed to come with something on top, but I didn't try it (I guess I should have...)

[Choan]

"I'll take it as it is", or something like that for "sono mama..."

Tanuki is one of these weird words that means different things in different places. In Tokyo shokudo it means served with flakes of tempura batter, but if you walked into an Osaka shokudo and just asked for 'tanuki' you'd get a bowl of warm soba with deep-fried tofu (abura-age) on top.
And I've a feeling that if you order tanuki in Kyoto you'd get something different again.

[Delinjapan]

I say something like "sono mama ga ii yo" or if they have packed a bag when I haven't been paying attention, I take the thing (usually onigiri or a bottle of water) out of the bag and tell them "kekko desu". They are so used to me now in my regular combinis that they now don't even bother to try to give me a bag.

Actually that's a great sentence! I used it today, and for a fleeting instant it gave me the impression that I spoke fluent japanese (and the store clerk put the bag away faster than ususal). Do you have any other useful expressions like that?

Btw, is there really any point in having them remove the bagged items? I mean, knowing the japanese just a little bit, I feel it's unlikely they'd use a "rumpled" plastic bag for another customer...

[jingai]

"I'll take it as it is", or something like that for "sono mama..."

Tanuki is one of these weird words that means different things in different places. In Tokyo shokudo it means served with flakes of tempura batter, but if you walked into an Osaka shokudo and just asked for 'tanuki' you'd get a bowl of warm soba with deep-fried tofu (abura-age) on top.
And I've a feeling that if you order tanuki in Kyoto you'd get something different again.

I tried it in one of those raw food restaurants and got this big furry animal plopped down on my plate. It quickly made a run for it.

[Tommybar]

[Delinjapan]

more...how do you say "I want to order" in japanese"?

also what do they say when they tell you it's time for the last order? I never quite catch it and they just say "Last order"?

it's really a pity there is no website with this kind of info. Maybe somebody should write a book (there are books but they are not detailed enough IMO)

[kamome]

I usually just say "Chuumon shite ii desu ka" (Can I order?) or just "Ii desu ka" (OK?).

[Ptyx]

To order i use "tanonde ii desuka" litt "can i order?". The quickest way would be to get the guy at your table and start ordering though.
For kyushu ramen my osusume is Ichiran there are a few shops around tokyo. The two i know of are located in Roppongi and Shibuya. The one in shibuya is just before Tower Records when you come from the crossing.

The one in roppongi is on the other side of the crossing at the 3rd of 4th floor of a building with a conbini. I know, it's pretty vague because i only been there once or twice.
They're talking about ichiran there : http://www.tokyoessentials.com/ichiran-ramen.html
official site is here : http://www.ichiran.co.jp/index.html

To add to your vocabulary concerning ramen, kaidama is the supplement of noodle. It's different from oomori since you only get additional noodle and not additional soup. The usual way to order it is to eat all your noodle and make sure that you have at least 50% of your soup left. They'll bring you the extra noodle on a plate usually with a small amount of broth over it. The concentrated broth is to not watered the soup down with the moist coming from the extra noodle.

The same thing with rice is called okawari, you can order it whenever with a meal that have a bowl of rice included. Usually it's free of charge although some upscale places will charge 50 to 100y for it. If you don't want a full bowl you can say "hanbun de ii" which means just half. Oh, and if you're a woman and you don't want that much rice say "sukuname" which is the opposite of oomori

[cstaylor]

The same thing with rice is called okawari, you can order it whenever with a meal that have a bowl of rice included.

That works with most refillables, like drinks.

[Greji]

To order i use "tanonde ii desuka" litt "can i order?". The quickest way would be to get the guy at your table and start ordering though.

I'm surprised the old standby doesn't come out. After checking over the menu, the rest of the customers, and the waitress's ass, a loud "onegaii shimasu" usually gets everything moving and if the waitress is in fact in possession of an AK certified ass, you should also inquire about the availability of "demai"!

[Mulboyne]

...Maybe somebody should write a book (there are books but they are not detailed enough IMO)

Restaurant reviewer Robb Satterwhite wrote "What's What in Japanese Restaurants: A Guide to Ordering, Eating and Enjoying" nearly twenty years ago now. It has been revised since and he has put some of it up on his bento.com site.

A lot of that kind of book is lists of menu translations but it never really helped me to know in a sushi bar that akagai was ark shell because I had no point of reference for "ark shell" in the first place. I probably should have concentrated more because people are always asking "what do you call this in English?" and I have no idea. Similarly, looking down a list of English menu items like Dover sole, halibut and monkfish I always draw a blank about how to translate their names into Japanese.

It's interesting to read in this thread the various gambits that people use in restaurants and conbini since we probably all stick to phrases that worked for us best at the outset and they are not all the same.

[Greji]

I probably should have concentrated more because people are always asking "what do you call this in English?" and I have no idea. Similarly, looking down a list of English menu items like Dover sole, halibut and monkfish I always draw a blank about how to translate their names into Japanese.

Good post Mulboyne, that really hits home here too. I grew up and went to school in the midwestern US and had little to no exposure, or interest in the ocean, its fish, or anything with saltwater flavoring!

I learned most of what I know about ocean fish here in Japan in Japanese, hence when I am asked the inevitable "what is this?", I am totally lost, because where, I may know what it is called in Nihongo, I will usually have NFI what it is called in Eigo, nor if we even have such a fish in and around the US.

[Charles]

Good post Mulboyne, that really hits home here too. I grew up and went to school in the midwestern US and had little to know exposure, or interest in the ocean, its fish, or anything with saltwater flavoring!

Time for one of my favorite local jokes:
What's the difference between the Midwest and the coasts?
On the coast, carp isn't considered seafood.

Here in the Midwest, the common approach to fish is deep frying until all the flavor is cooked out. I used to make fresh broiled fish for dinner guests and one woman actually complained, "ooh, it tastes fishy!" Did she expect it to taste like chicken?

[GomiGirl]

This is why we have TangoTown on our keitais - for looking up the names of fish - it is what I use this most for - translating food.

[Jack]

[amdg]

Hmmm. Is Jack a troll, or does he just know nothing?

[Charles]

[Jack]

Hmmm. Is Jack a troll, or does he just know nothing?

Here's a juvenile response if there ever was one. How old are you? 13?

Charles,
Thanks for the link.

[Charles]

Charles,
Thanks for the link.

Footnote: judging from that link, you could also order sushi rolls as 一本, although it's not clear if maybe those come intact and not sliced.

Of course you could probably order using different counters, like hitosara (one plate/serving), or even the more generic hitotsu futatsu etc. and they'd understand you. Just don't order sushi as 一個 because that is only one piece, 一人前 is 二個.

You know, I actually have a video somewhere that has a sushi historian explaining the etymology of 一人前 and how sushi came to be served in two pieces, I ought to put it on my website.

[Tommybar]

Delinjapan:

more...how do you say "I want to order" in japanese"?

also what do they say when they tell you it's time for the last order? I never quite catch it and they just say "Last order"?

I want to order: Chuumon shitai
Of course you could also say it in a question form (it's still 'chuumon shitai'?)and it would be 'Do you want to order'? But realize that 'ooda' (order) is now a Japanese word...so ooda shitai would work too.
Chuumon-order
shitai-want
heiten-closing time

DELETED because author is retarded!

To add to your vocabulary concerning ramen, kaidama is the supplement of noodle. It's different from oomori since you only get additional noodle and not additional soup.
The same thing with rice is called okawari,...

'Kaidama' is actually a 'replacement' of noodles where as 'oomori' is a large serving from the beginning.

'Okawari' would mean 'another' or 're-fill'. It can be used when ordering food or asking for another brick while building a wall. But it is usually used in reference to food.

DELETED because author is retarded!

[drpepper]

Tanomu (tanonde) is to request, not depend (tayoru). To make a request at a restaurant is tantamount to 'ordering' so it is perfectly fine. 'Order' is a barely ever used and probably there just for the gaijin that can't be bothered to learn proper Japanese...

[Greji]

Tanomu (tanonde) is to request, not depend (tayoru). To make a request at a restaurant is tantamount to 'ordering' so it is perfectly fine. 'Order' is a barely ever used and probably there just for the gaijin that can't be bothered to learn proper Japanese...

Please come off some of that lovely back lady. Tanomu zo!

A very handy word.

[drpepper]

Please come off some of that lovely back lady. Tanomu zo!

A very handy word.

waiting for an explanation of 'back lady' but knowing bg... I could take a guess...