Eating in China: A Foreigner’s Survival Guide to Menus, Etiquette, and What to Order- 3
The Complete Bilingual Menu Reference
Appetizers / Cold Dishes (凉菜)
| English | Chinese | Pinyin | Notes |
| Boiled Chicken with Sauce | 白切鸡 | báiqiējī | Cantonese; served cold with ginger-scallion dip |
| Pork with Garlic Sauce | 蒜泥白肉 | suànní báiròu | Sichuan; thin pork slices with spicy garlic sauce |
| Marinated Jellyfish | 白菜心拌蜇头 | báicàixīn bàn zhétóu | Crunchy, slightly rubbery texture |
| Black Fungus in Vinegar | 老醋黑木耳 | lǎocù hēimù’ěr | Wood ear mushrooms; vinegary, refreshing |
| Tossed Mung Clear Noodles | 大拉皮 | dàlāpí | Cold glass noodles with sesame sauce |
| Cucumber in Sauce | 凉拌黄瓜 | liángbàn huángguā | Simple, garlicky, universal |
| Preserved Eggs with Tofu | 皮蛋豆腐 | pídàn dòufu | “Century eggs” — acquired taste, silken texture |
Pork Dishes (猪肉)
| English | Chinese | Pinyin | Notes |
| Sweet and Sour Pork | 糖醋里脊 | tángcù lǐjí | The “Chinese takeout” classic, but better |
| Red-Braised Pork | 红烧肉 | hóngshāoròu | Dongpo pork’s cousin; sweet, soy-heavy, melt-in-mouth |
| Twice-Cooked Pork | 回锅肉 | huíguōròu | Sichuan; boiled then fried pork belly with leeks |
| Shredded Pork with Garlic Sauce | 鱼香肉丝 | yúxiāng ròusī | “Fish-fragrant” = no fish; sweet-sour-spicy |
| Steamed Pork with Rice Flour | 粉蒸肉 | fěnzhēngròu | Pork coated in spiced rice flour, steamed until tender |
| Sweet and Sour Spare Ribs | 糖醋排骨 | tángcù páigǔ | Finger-food favorite; sticky, tangy glaze |
| Pepper Salted Spare Ribs | 椒盐排骨 | jiāoyán páigǔ | Dry-fried with salt and Sichuan pepper |
Beef & Lamb (牛肉/羊肉)
| English | Chinese | Pinyin | Notes |
| Cumin Beef | 孜然牛肉 | zīrán niúròu | Xinjiang-style; smoky, earthy, cumin-heavy |
| Black Pepper Beef | 黑椒牛肉 | hēijiāo niúròu | Stir-fried with onions and bell peppers |
| Water-Boiled Beef | 水煮牛肉 | shuǐzhǔ niúròu | Sichuan; submerged in chili oil, not actually “boiled” |
| Stir-Fried Lamb with Scallion | 葱爆羊肉 | cōngbào yángròu | Northern Chinese; quick-wok, aromatic |
| Roast Lamb Leg | 烤羊腿 | kǎo yángtuǐ | Mongolian/Xinjiang; shareable, ceremonial |
| Braised Lamb in Brown Sauce | 红烧羊肉 | hóngshāo yángròu | Hearty winter dish; warming, rich |
Chicken (鸡肉)
| English | Chinese | Pinyin | Notes |
| Kung Pao Chicken | 宫保鸡丁 | gōngbǎo jīdīng | The most famous Chinese dish worldwide |
| General Tso’s Chicken | 左宗棠鸡 | Zuǒzōngtáng jī | Actually invented in Taiwan, popular in US |
| Three-Cup Chicken | 三杯鸡 | sānbēi jī | Taiwanese; one cup each of soy sauce, rice wine, sesame oil |
| Beggar’s Chicken | 叫花鸡 | jiàohuājī | Whole chicken wrapped in clay and lotus leaves |
| Cola Chicken Wings | 可乐鸡翅 | kělè jīchì | Surprisingly good; sweet, sticky, popular with kids |
| Steamed Chicken with Chili Sauce | 口水鸡 | kǒushuǐjī | “Saliva chicken” — cold, numbing, irresistible |
Seafood (海鲜)
| English | Chinese | Pinyin | Notes |
| Steamed Sea Bass | 清蒸石斑鱼 | qīngzhēng shíbānyú | The test of a Cantonese kitchen; must be fresh |
| Fish Filets in Hot Chili Oil | 水煮鱼 | shuǐzhǔ yú | Sichuan; white fish buried in red oil |
| Scalded Prawns | 白灼虾 | báizhuó xiā | Cantonese; barely cooked, dipped in soy-ginger |
| Fried Shrimps with Cashews | 腰果虾仁 | yāoguǒ xiārén | Mild, kid-friendly, universally liked |
| Braised Abalone | 鲍汁百灵菇 | bàozhī bǎilínggū | Luxury; mushroom in abalone sauce |
| Buddha Jumps Over the Wall | 佛跳墙 | fótiàoqiáng | Ultimate luxury soup; abalone, sea cucumber, shark fin |
Tofu & Vegetables (豆腐/蔬菜)
| English | Chinese | Pinyin | Notes |
| Mapo Tofu | 麻婆豆腐 | mápó dòufu | The Sichuan icon; numbing, spicy, addictive |
| Home-Style Tofu | 家常豆腐 | jiācháng dòufu | Mild, savory, comforting |
| Dry-Fried French Beans | 干煸扁豆 | gānbiān biǎndòu | Sichuan; blistered, garlicky, slightly charred |
| Yu-Shiang Eggplant | 鱼香茄子 | yúxiāng qiézi | No fish; sweet-sour-garlic sauce |
| Sautéed Pumpkin with Almonds | 杏仁炒南瓜 | xìngrén chǎo nánguā | Mild, slightly sweet, healthy |
| Mixed Vegetables | 素什锦 | sùshíjǐn | Buddhist-style; no garlic, no onion |
Noodles & Rice (面/饭)
| English | Chinese | Pinyin | Notes |
| Dan Dan Noodles | 担担面 | dàndàn miàn | Sichuan street food; spicy, nutty, savory |
| Zhajiang Noodles | 炸酱面 | zhájiàng miàn | Beijing; wheat noodles with fermented bean paste and vegetables |
| Crosses-the-Bridge Rice Noodles | 过桥米线 | guòqiáo mǐxiàn | Yunnan; hot broth with raw ingredients that cook at the table |
| Yangzhou Fried Rice | 扬州炒饭 | Yángzhōu chǎofàn | The “standard” fried rice; ham, shrimp, peas, egg |
| Claypot Rice | 煲仔饭 | bāozǎifàn | Cantonese; crispy rice bottom, toppings of your choice |
Soups (汤)
| English | Chinese | Pinyin | Notes |
| West Lake Beef Soup | 西湖牛肉羹 | Xīhú niúròu gēng | Zhejiang; thickened, silky, mild |
| Hot and Sour Soup | 酸辣汤 | suānlà tāng | Sichuan; peppery, vinegary, with tofu and mushrooms |
| Wonton Soup | 馄饨汤 | húntun tāng | Cantonese; delicate shrimp-pork dumplings in clear broth |
| Tomato Egg Drop Soup | 番茄蛋汤 | fānqié dàn tāng | Home-style; surprisingly good, universally safe |
Desserts (甜品)
| English | Chinese | Pinyin | Notes |
| Red Bean Paste Buns | 豆沙包 | dòushābāo | Steamed; sweet, earthy, not overly sugary |
| Egg Tarts | 蛋挞 | dàntà | Portuguese-Chinese fusion; flaky crust, custard filling |
| Mango Sago Pomelo | 杨枝甘露 | yángzhī gānlù | Cantonese; mango, tapioca, pomelo segments, coconut milk |
| Sesame Balls | 麻球 | máqiú | Fried glutinous rice balls filled with red bean paste, coated in sesame |
| Almond Tofu | 杏仁豆腐 | xìngrén dòufu | Silken almond-flavored pudding; light, refreshing |
