You're starving in Tokyo. You find a cozy restaurant, sit down, and receive a menu covered in kanji. No pictures. No English. Just beautiful, completely unreadable characters.

Don't panic. By the end of this guide, you'll be ordering like a local.

Essential Menu Sections

Japanese menus are typically organized into these sections:

Japanese	Romaji	Meaning
前菜	zensai	Appetizers
刺身	sashimi	Raw fish slices
寿司	sushi	Sushi
焼き物	yakimono	Grilled dishes
揚げ物	agemono	Fried dishes
煮物	nimono	Simmered dishes
麺類	menrui	Noodle dishes
ご飯物	gohanmono	Rice dishes
定食	teishoku	Set meals
飲み物	nomimono	Drinks
デザート	dezāto	Dessert

Must-Know Food Words

Proteins (タンパク質)

Japanese	Reading	English
牛肉	ぎゅうにく	Beef
豚肉	ぶたにく	Pork
鶏肉	とりにく	Chicken
魚	さかな	Fish
海老	えび	Shrimp
蛸	たこ	Octopus
烏賊	いか	Squid
卵	たまご	Egg
豆腐	とうふ	Tofu

Vegetables (野菜)

Japanese	Reading	English
野菜	やさい	Vegetables
玉ねぎ	たまねぎ	Onion
人参	にんじん	Carrot
きのこ	きのこ	Mushroom
ネギ	ねぎ	Green onion
大根	だいこん	Radish
キャベツ	きゃべつ	Cabbage

Popular Dishes

Japanese	Reading	Description
ラーメン	rāmen	Noodle soup
うどん	udon	Thick wheat noodles
そば	soba	Buckwheat noodles
カレー	karē	Curry
天ぷら	tenpura	Battered fried food
とんかつ	tonkatsu	Pork cutlet
焼き鳥	yakitori	Grilled chicken skewers
丼	don/donburi	Rice bowl
おにぎり	onigiri	Rice ball
味噌汁	misoshiru	Miso soup

Sushi Types

Japanese	Reading	Description
マグロ	maguro	Tuna
サーモン	sāmon	Salmon
タマゴ	tamago	Egg omelet
イカ	ika	Squid
エビ	ebi	Shrimp
イクラ	ikura	Salmon roe
ウニ	uni	Sea urchin

Cooking Methods to Recognize

Japanese	Reading	Meaning
焼き	yaki	Grilled/fried
揚げ	age	Deep-fried
煮	ni	Simmered
蒸し	mushi	Steamed
生	nama	Raw
炒め	itame	Stir-fried

Examples:

• 焼き魚 = grilled fish
• 揚げ豆腐 = fried tofu
• 生ビール = draft beer

Essential Ordering Phrases

Getting Attention

「すみません！」 (Sumimasen!) "Excuse me!"

Ordering

「これをください。」 (Kore wo kudasai.) "This one, please." (pointing)

「〇〇を一つください。」 ([Item] wo hitotsu kudasai.) "One [item], please."

Asking About Ingredients

「これは何ですか？」 (Kore wa nan desu ka?) "What is this?"

「〇〇は入っていますか？」 ([Ingredient] wa haitte imasu ka?) "Does this contain [ingredient]?"

Dietary Restrictions

Japanese	Meaning
ベジタリアン	Vegetarian
アレルギー	Allergy
肉なし	No meat
魚なし	No fish

「私は〇〇アレルギーがあります。」 (Watashi wa [X] arerugii ga arimasu.) "I have a [X] allergy."

Bill Time

「お会計お願いします。」 (Okaikei onegaishimasu.) "Check, please."

Restaurant Types

Japanese	Type	What to Expect
居酒屋 (izakaya)	Pub	Drinks + small plates
食堂 (shokudō)	Cafeteria	Quick, cheap meals
定食屋 (teishokuya)	Set meal shop	Complete meals
回転寿司 (kaitenzushi)	Conveyor sushi	Grab plates from belt
ファミレス	Family restaurant	Western-style menu
屋台 (yatai)	Street stall	Quick snacks

Common Menu Kanji

Memorize these characters that appear everywhere:

Kanji	Reading	Meaning
大	dai/ō	Large
中	chū	Medium
小	shō	Small
辛	kara	Spicy
甘	ama	Sweet
温	on/atatakai	Hot/warm
冷	rei/tsumetai	Cold
半	han	Half
並	nami	Regular/normal
特	toku	Special/deluxe

Size ordering:

• 小 (S) → 並 (Regular) → 大 (L) → 特大 (XL)

Ticket Machine Restaurants

Many ramen shops and chain restaurants use ticket machines (食券機). Here's how:

1. 01Find the machine near the entrance
2. 02Insert money first
3. 03Press button for your dish (often has pictures)
4. 04Take ticket(s) and change
5. 05Give ticket to staff
6. 06Wait for your food

Cultural Tips

Before Eating

「いただきます！」 (Itadakimasu!) "I humbly receive this meal."

After Eating

「ごちそうさまでした！」 (Gochisōsama deshita!) "Thank you for the meal."

Chopstick Etiquette

• ❌ Don't stick chopsticks upright in rice (funeral ritual)
• ❌ Don't pass food chopstick-to-chopstick
• ✅ Use the serving end to take from shared plates

Tipping

Don't! Tipping is not customary and may confuse staff.

Practice: Decode This Menu

Here's a sample menu section:

【焼き物】
・焼き鳥 (5本) ........... 550円
・豚バラ塩焼き ........... 680円
・サーモン西京焼き ....... 780円

Translation:

• 焼き物 = Grilled items
• 焼き鳥 (5本) = Yakitori (5 skewers) - 550 yen
• 豚バラ塩焼き = Salt-grilled pork belly - 680 yen
• サーモン西京焼き = Miso-marinated salmon - 780 yen

Conclusion

You don't need to read every kanji to enjoy Japanese food. Focus on:

1. 01✅ Recognize menu section headers
2. 02✅ Know key proteins and cooking methods
3. 03✅ Master ordering phrases
4. 04✅ Use pointing + "kore wo kudasai" as backup

Ready to build your food vocabulary? Practice with KanaDojo!

美味しい食事を！(Enjoy your delicious meal!)

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Related Articles:

• Japanese Travel Phrases for Tourists
• Japanese Food Vocabulary Guide
• Japanese Shopping Phrases