Food & Drinks

1. 唔該，呢個係咩嚟㗎？

   m4 goi1, ni1 go3 hai6 me1 lei4 gaa3?

   Excuse me, what is this dish?

   Usage

   Used at a restaurant or food stall to ask about an unfamiliar dish

   Grammar Note

   "嚟㗎" is a Cantonese sentence-final particle seeking explanation. "㗎" adds emphasis and expectation of an answer.

2. 一籠叉燒包

   jat1 lung4 caa1 siu1 baau1

   One basket of barbecue pork buns

   Usage

   Classic dim sum order at yum cha restaurants

   Grammar Note

   "籠 (lung4)" is the measure word for dim sum baskets. One basket typically contains 3–4 pieces.

3. 我唔食辣㗎

   ngo5 m4 sik6 laat6 gaa3

   I cannot eat spicy food

   Usage

   Used to communicate a dietary restriction or personal preference

   Grammar Note

   Cantonese negation "唔 (m4)" is placed before the verb. "㗎 (gaa3)" at the end asserts a fact emphatically.

4. 埋單

   maai4 daan1

   Bill please / Check please

   Usage

   Used at the end of a meal to request the bill

   Grammar Note

   A distinctly Cantonese/HK expression. Literally "close the bill". More natural than the Mandarin "結帳" in HK restaurants.

5. 呢度有冇素食㗎？

   ni1 dou6 jau5 mou5 sou3 sik6 gaa3?

   Do you have vegetarian food here?

   Usage

   Used to check for vegetarian options when dining out

   Grammar Note

   "有冇 (jau5 mou5)" is Cantonese's A-not-A question structure, pairing "have" and "have not" to form a yes/no question.

6. 好食！

   hou2 sik6!

   Delicious!

   Usage

   Expressing that food is delicious

   Grammar Note

   In Cantonese, "食 (sik6)" means "to eat", corresponding to Mandarin "吃 (chī)". "好食" literally means "good to eat".

7. 唔該，俾杯凍水我

   m4 goi1, bei2 bui1 dung3 seoi2 ngo5

   Excuse me, please give me a glass of cold water

   Usage

   Used to order a drink or ask for water at the table

   Grammar Note

   "俾 (bei2)" is a uniquely Cantonese verb meaning "give". The word order "give + cup + water + me" differs from Mandarin structure.

8. 我要一個套餐

   ngo5 jiu3 jat1 go3 tou3 caan1

   I would like one set meal

   Usage

   Used to order a set meal or combo in fast food or casual restaurants

   Grammar Note

   "要 (jiu3)" means "want" or "to order". "個 (go3)" is the general Cantonese measure word used for many nouns.

9. 呢度係咪有服務費㗎？

   ni1 dou6 hai6 mai6 jau5 fuk6 mou6 fai3 gaa3?

   Is there a service charge here?

   Usage

   Many HK restaurants add a 10% service charge to the bill

   Grammar Note

   "係咪 (hai6 mai6)" is an A-not-A question meaning "is it or isn't it". In HK, most sit-down restaurants add a 10% service charge.

10. 我對花生敏感

    ngo5 deoi3 faa1 sang1 man5 gam2

    I am allergic to peanuts

    Usage

    Used to inform a restaurant about a food allergy

    Grammar Note

    "敏感 (man5 gam2)" means "sensitive/allergic" in Cantonese. You can also say "過敏 (gwo3 man5)" for "allergy" more explicitly.

11. 白飯

    baak6 faan6

    Cooked rice

    Usage

    Plain cooked rice; uncooked rice is a different word ("mai5")

12. 麵包

    min6 baau1

    Bread

    Usage

    For a bakery or a breakfast menu

13. 麵

    min6

    Noodles

    Usage

    The general word for noodles; HK dish names such as "wan4 tan1 min6" are built on it

14. 辣

    laat6

    Spicy (hot)

    Usage

    Chili heat, not temperature — use it to ask whether a dish is spicy

15. 甜

    tim4

    Sweet

    Usage

    For checking how sweet a dish or drink is

16. 未煮熟

    mei6 zyu2 suk6

    Not cooked through / raw

    Usage

    Point at undercooked food; the single word "saang1" is ambiguous (raw / alive / born), so this phrase is used instead

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