Here are some words and expressions you'll find helpful when in a restaurant.

• sumimasen - to get the attention of your waiter or waitress: excuse me; oh, waiter / waitress.
   
• food or utensil ga, arimasu ka - Do you have food or utensil?
  For example:
  • chirashi ga arimasu ka - do you have chirashi?
  • o-hashi ga arimasu ka - do you have chopsticks?
  
   
• food or utensil o kudasai - {could I have / I would like} some food or utensil?
  For example:
  • o-cha o kudasai - Could I have some tea, please?
  • o-hashi o kudasai - I would like chopsticks, please
  • kore o kudasai - I would like this, please
  • sore o kudasai - I would like that [near you], please
  • are o kudasai - I would like that [over there], please
  
   
• Some beverages:
  • o-cha - tea
  • ko-hi - coffee
  • jiin toniku - gin and tonic
  • sake - sake
  • o-mizu - water; Note: this is one time you do pronounce the trailing 'u'
  • bi-ru - beer; specify Sapporo, Kirin, or Asahi
     
• Some Foods:
  • miso - miso soup; be careful with mizu versus miso
  • sa-ra-da - salad
  • gyoza - Japanese style dumplings
  • yakitori - grilled chicken

Of course, the menu will have the terms or a picture, and you can always point ( kore o kudasai - "I'll have this").

The word to means 'and', so: kore to kore to kore o kudasai is possible. Or, a little more sophisticated, maybe maguro to saba to ebi o kudasai - "I'll have tuna, mackerel, and shrimp, please."

Before you start to eat, it is customary to say itadakimasu which you can think of as grace, thankfulness for the food.

moo ichido onegai-shimasu - {may I have / I would like} [some] more please

kekkoo desu - if someone offers you more food and you're full: I'm fine; no more, thanks.

If you like the food, say oishii desu - "it is delicious", or even totemo oishii desu - "it is very delicious"

When you are ready for the bill: o-kanjo onegai-shimasu

When you are finished, it is nice to say go chi so sama deshita to the server or chef: "It was a wonderful feast!".