Visiting a Hong Kong cha chaan teng (Hong Kong-style diner) is an incredible culinary experience.

These fast-paced diners serve a unique mix of Cantonese and Western comfort food.

Knowing exactly how to order your food in Cantonese makes the experience much smoother.

I’ll show you the essential vocabulary and phrases you need to navigate any cha chaan teng menu.

Getting a table

The first thing you need to do is let the staff know how many people are in your group.

Walk in and simply hold up your fingers while stating the number of people.

We use the measure word wai2 (位) for people in a restaurant setting.

Here’s how you ask for a table for two.

兩位，唔該。

loeng5 wai2, m4 goi1.

Two people, please.

If you’re dining alone, you would say jat1 wai2 (一位).

Be prepared to share a table with strangers during busy hours.

This practice is called daap3 toi2 (搭枱), and it’s very common in Hong Kong.

Reading the menu

The menu at a cha chaan teng is packed with a huge variety of items.

Most locals order a set meal to save money.

However, you can always order food a la carte.

Here’s an HTML table of the most famous food items you’ll find on the menu.

Customizing your drinks

Hong Kongers are very specific about how their drinks are prepared.

You can easily adjust the temperature, ice level, and sweetness level of your beverages.

To order a hot drink, place the word jit6 (熱) before the drink name.

To order a cold or iced drink, use the word dung3 (凍).

Here’s an example of how you can order an iced lemon tea with less sugar.

凍檸茶，少甜。

dung3 ning2 caa4, siu2 tim4.

Iced lemon tea, less sweet.

Ordering your food

When you’re ready to order, you need to catch the waiter’s attention.

Raise your hand slightly and say m4 goi1 (唔該), which means “excuse me”.

To tell them what you want, use the phrase ngo5 jiu3 (我要), meaning “I want”.

唔該，我要一個菠蘿油同一杯熱奶茶。

m4 goi1, ngo5 jiu3 jat1 go3 bo1 lo4 jau4 tung4 jat1 bui1 jit6 naai5 caa4.

Excuse me, I want a pineapple bun with butter and a hot milk tea.

The waiter will write down your order very quickly on a small slip of paper.

They’ll usually leave this paper slip face down on your table.

Asking for the bill

Paying at a cha chaan teng works a little differently than in Western restaurants.

You generally don’t ask the waiter to bring the bill to your table.

Instead, you take that small slip of paper the waiter left earlier straight to the cashier at the front of the restaurant.

If you somehow lost the slip or the waiter forgot to give you one, you can ask them for the bill.

The phrase for asking for the bill is maai4 daan1 (埋單).

唔該，埋單。

m4 goi1, maai4 daan1.

Bill, please.

Hand your cash or card to the cashier along with your slip.

Remember to leave quickly after eating, as cha chaan tengs rely on a fast customer turnover to stay profitable.