暑假終於到啦！ believe many friends have already planned their trips abroad, ready to have a big feast in foreign countries. However, Loopy often hears friends around complaining: "Every time I get an English menu at a restaurant abroad, it really feels like reading a book without words!" In the end, because they don't understand, they can only point at the dish on the next table and say "I want this.", or use a mobile translation app to scan for a long time, only to find that the dish served is still completely different from what they imagined. Don't worry! Today, Loopy has organized a super practical "menu English" cheat sheet for everyone, from cooking methods to beef cuts and doneness, to help you understand them all at once, so you can order with confidence when traveling abroad and never make a mistake with delicious food!
煎、煮、炒、炸？先看懂這些「烹調關鍵字」
When walking into a restaurant, the main course meat is usually preceded by a string of adjectives, which are actually the "cooking methods." As long as you recognize these words, you can immediately imagine the texture and taste of this dish in your mind!
First is pan-fried, which refers to pan-frying or searing, usually tasting crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.
- Let's order the pan-fried salmon for our appetizer.
Next is the stewing that Taiwanese people are very familiar with, which is braised in English. This word is usually used for meats that need to be simmered slowly over low heat for a long time, resulting in a very soft, tender, and flavorful texture.
- The braised beef short ribs are the specialty of this restaurant.
If you like a rich, smoky flavor, just look for the word smoked!
- I highly recommend the smoked pulled pork sandwich.
When ordering, we often want to ask the waiter how a certain dish is prepared. At this time, you can use this simple sentence:
- How is this chicken dish prepared?
牛排部位怎麼選？肋眼、菲力這樣分
Entering a Western restaurant, the most headache-inducing part is the steak cuts. In fact, the two most popular cuts are very easy to identify.
If you like a rich fat content and a strong meat aroma, please choose ribeye. This part usually has a prominent piece of fat in the middle, which becomes extremely fragrant after being seared.
- I would like the 10-ounce ribeye, please.
If you prefer an elegant texture that is tender and almost fat-free, then tenderloin is your best choice.
- The tenderloin is so tender that it melts in your mouth.
At this time, we often accidentally speak Chinglish:
- ✗ I want to eat ribeye meat.
- ✓ I'd like to order the ribeye, please.
In English, when ordering steak, just say the name of the cut directly (such as ribeye, tenderloin), there is no need to add "meat" after it!
點牛排被問 "How would you like that cooked?" 該怎麼回？
After choosing the cut, the waiter will definitely ask you this question: "How would you like your steak cooked?". At this time, never translate the Chinese "three points" or "five points" directly as "three points" or "five points"!
Let's compare them with authentic English doneness terms:
- ✗ three points → ✓ rare / medium-rare
- ✗ five points → ✓ medium
- ✗ seven points → ✓ medium-well
- ✗ full cooked → ✓ well-done
Loopy suggests that if you want to eat the most perfect tenderness of beef, ordering medium-rare or medium is the safest and most delicious choice.
Let's look at a complete ordering conversation:
- Waiter: How would you like your steak cooked?
- You: Medium-rare, please. And could I have the sauce on the side?
點餐英文一秒判斷訣竅
Ordering food abroad is actually very intuitive. Loopy has organized this "golden formula for ordering" for everyone. Next time you look at the menu, just apply it directly, and you can understand the details of the main course in one second:
【 烹調方式 (braised/pan-fried...) + 主食材部位 (ribeye/salmon...) 】
For example, when you see "Pan-fried cod" on the menu, first you see the cooking method "Pan-fried", and then you see the main ingredient "cod", you can immediately know it is pan-fried cod!
I hope this practical menu English teaching can make everyone's summer trip abroad happy and authentic. Next time you walk into a restaurant, look at the menu generously and order with confidence from the waiter! See you next time!