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 food and beverages

 

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-iru - 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!".