Eating

Ordering at a table

In a great many restaurants there is no paper menu. A QR code on the table opens the menu on your phone, you choose there, and the order goes straight to the kitchen. Scanning it from a payment app usually works even if you do not have the restaurant's own app.

Photographs are the traveller's friend: menus are heavily illustrated, and pointing is entirely normal and not considered rude.

Finding somewhere good

Local review platforms are far more accurate than international ones, which barely have coverage here. Ratings above 4.5 with a high review count are dependable, and you can navigate the listings on photographs alone.

Delivery is fast and cheap but assumes a Chinese phone number for the courier to call and an address in Chinese characters — which makes it more awkward for a visitor than eating out.

Allergies and things you avoid

This is worth preparing rather than improvising. Dietary restrictions are less commonly encountered than in Europe or North America, and a vague request may be quietly ignored. Being specific and showing it in writing works much better than saying it.

Peanut oil and pork stock appear in dishes where you would not expect them. If a reaction would be serious, show the written phrase rather than trusting a spoken exchange.

The phrasebook has allergy phrases written to be shown to kitchen staff, not spoken.