Japanese for restaurants: ordering, allergies and paying
From the door to the register: how to get seated, call the staff without being rude, explain an allergy, and pay. Including the food words that look English and are not, starting with バイキング.
Getting a table
二人です。
Futari desu.
Two people.
Staff will ask 何名様ですか (nanmeisama desu ka).
英語のメニューはありますか？
Eigo no menyuu wa arimasu ka?
Do you have an English menu?
どのくらい待ちますか？
Dono kurai machimasu ka?
How long is the wait?
禁煙席でお願いします。
Kin'enseki de onegaishimasu.
Non-smoking, please.
カウンターでもいいですか？
Kauntaa demo ii desu ka?
Is the counter okay?
Ordering
すみません！
Sumimasen!
Excuse me!
This is how you call staff over. It is not rude.
これをお願いします。
Kore o onegaishimasu.
I will have this one.
おすすめは何ですか？
Osusume wa nan desu ka?
What do you recommend?
同じものをお願いします。
Onaji mono o onegaishimasu.
The same, please.
少なめでお願いします。
Sukuname de onegaishimasu.
A smaller portion, please.
お水をください。
Omizu o kudasai.
Water, please.
Allergies and paying
甲殻類アレルギーがあります。
Koukakurui arerugii ga arimasu.
I am allergic to shellfish.
豚肉が食べられません。
Butaniku ga taberaremasen.
I cannot eat pork.
これに出汁は入っていますか？
Kore ni dashi wa haitte imasu ka?
Does this contain dashi?
Fish dashi hides in most vegetable dishes.
お会計をお願いします。
Okaikei o onegaishimasu.
The check, please.
別々で払えますか？
Betsubetsu de haraemasu ka?
Can we pay separately?
ごちそうさまでした。
Gochisousama deshita.
That was delicious, thank you.
Wasei-eigo traps
バイキング (baikingu) looks like Viking, but means buffet, all you can eat
Named after a Tokyo hotel restaurant in the 1950s. A Viking is バイキング too, which does not help anyone.
クレーム (kureemu) looks like claim, but means a complaint
クレームを言う is to complain. An insurance claim is 請求 (seikyuu).
ジュース (juusu) looks like juice, but means any soft drink
ジュース covers cola and lemonade too. If you want actual fruit juice, say 果汁100% (kajuu hyaku paasento).
モーニング (mooningu) looks like morning, but means a discounted breakfast set
モーニング at a café means the set of toast, egg and coffee served before about eleven.
アメリカン (amerikan) looks like American style, but means weak, diluted coffee
Ordering アメリカン gets you a lighter brew, not a large one.
FAQ
Common questions
Short answers to what people ask most about this situation.
Should I tip at a restaurant?
No. There is no tipping culture in Japan and no line for it on the bill. Service charge appears only at some high-end places and izakaya, where お通し (a small compulsory appetiser) may also be added.
What is the hot towel for?
おしぼり is for your hands before eating, not your face or the table. Fold it and leave it beside your setting when you are done.
Can I eat vegetarian in Japan?
It takes effort, because fish dashi is in miso soup, noodle broth and many vegetable dishes. Ask 出汁は入っていますか, and look for 精進料理 (shoujin ryouri), the Buddhist temple cuisine that is genuinely vegan.
Do I pay at the table?
Usually not. Take the slip (伝票) left on your table to the register by the door and pay there. Put cash in the small tray rather than handing it over.