At the Restaurant
Restaurant: ordering, prices, bill
Can order food and pay
Look at these examples. Can you spot the grammar pattern?
Chị ơi! Cho tôi một tô phở bò.
Excuse me! Give me a bowl of beef pho.
Tính tiền! — Tất cả bao nhiêu?
The bill! — How much total?
Ngon lắm! Cảm ơn chị!
Very delicious! Thank you!
Pay attention to the highlighted parts. What do they have in common?
Ở nhà hàng — At the Restaurant
Essential phrases for eating out in Vietnam.
| Situation | Vietnamese | English |
|---|---|---|
| Get attention | Anh/Chị ơi! | Excuse me! (waiter) |
| Order | Cho tôi một... | Give me a... |
| Ask menu | Có thực đơn không? | Do you have a menu? |
| Ask price | Bao nhiêu tiền? | How much? |
| Bill | Tính tiền! | The bill please! |
| Delicious | Ngon lắm! | Very delicious! |
| Spicy | Cay quá! | Too spicy! |
| No spicy | Không cay. | Not spicy (please). |
Common Error Patterns
Incorrect way to address restaurant staff
Call staff: Anh ơi! (male) or Chị ơi! (female). Order: Cho tôi... Bill: Tính tiền!
Chị ơi! Cho tôi một tô phở bò.
Excuse me! Give me a bowl of beef pho.
Chị ơi = calling a female server. cho tôi = give me. một tô = one bowl. phở bò = beef pho.
Tính tiền! — Tất cả bao nhiêu?
The bill! — How much total?
Tính tiền = calculate money = the bill. tất cả bao nhiêu = all how-much = how much total?
Ngon lắm! Cảm ơn chị!
Very delicious! Thank you!
Complimenting the food: ngon lắm! (very delicious!). Always appreciated by Vietnamese hosts/servers.
Practice in course
Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises