28 Japanese Restaurant Phrases: How to Order, Pay, and Reply to Staff

💡 You will hear it the moment you walk into almost any shop or restaurant, often shouted by several staff at once. You don't need to reply; customers usually just walk in. A small nod or smile is plenty.

💡 Usually the first question at the door. Staff may hold up fingers while asking. Answer with a number of people or just hold up fingers yourself.

💡 Counting people is irregular: hitori (1), futari (2), sannin (3), yonin (4), gonin (5). For one person, "hitori desu" is common and nobody finds dining alone unusual.

💡 Give your name after the time. If you don't have one, "yoyaku shite imasen" (no reservation). Popular places may say "manseki desu," meaning they are full.

💡 Said quietly before the first bite, often with hands together. It is not a religious prayer for most people, just a habit of thanks. In a restaurant, people say it to themselves or their table, not to the staff.

💡 Said when you finish, and often to the staff or chef as you leave or pay, especially at small places. It is also how you thank someone who treated you to the meal.

💡 Servers usually wait to be called rather than checking on you, so speak up when you are ready. More and more places use tablets or QR codes on the table for ordering.

💡 Staff are usually happy to answer, and many menus have a section marked おすすめ. It is a good way to try a local or seasonal dish you would not have picked yourself.

💡 Point at the menu or food model as you say it. Add a number with fingers for more than one; "kore o futatsu" means two of these.

💡 Many ramen, soba, and rice-bowl shops have a ticket machine by the entrance. Buy the ticket, then hand it to the staff or place it on the counter. If staff say the example sentence to you, head back to the machine.

💡 Karai means spicy-hot, but some people also use it for very salty food. Most Japanese food is mild, though curry, ramen, and some Korean-style dishes can be hot.

💡 Put the ingredient before nuki de. Common ones are wasabi, negi (green onion), and nori. It works for preferences, but for a real allergy, say so directly.

💡 Say the food, then "no arerugi." Chains often have allergen charts; small shops may not know every ingredient in their sauces or broth. For anything severe, show a written card in Japanese.

💡 Always add the second sentence, because "vegetarian" is understood differently from person to person. Many soups and sauces use dashi, a stock often made from dried fish flakes, so even vegetable dishes may not be vegetarian.

💡 Free water or tea is served at most restaurants, often with a wet towel. At some places it is self-service from a jug or machine; look for 水 or "セルフサービス" signs.

💡 Works for rice, drinks, and more. Some set-meal restaurants offer free rice refills, but not all, so check before assuming it is free.

💡 Common at ramen, udon, and rice-bowl shops. Sometimes it costs extra, sometimes it's free. The opposite, a small portion, is "sukunme" or "shomori" depending on the shop.

💡 At group dinners, people wait until everyone has a drink and someone leads the toast before sipping. Starting early is a small but noticeable faux pas.

💡 Add desu to sound polite when telling the staff or your host. Past tense "oishikatta desu" is a nice thing to say when you pay and leave.

💡 At many places you take the bill to the register instead of paying at the table. Some people signal for the check by crossing their index fingers in an X, but the spoken phrase is clearer and more polite.

💡 Many restaurants handle this without trouble, but busy places and some izakaya prefer one payment. If they say they can't, pay together and split it among yourselves.

💡 Warikan means dividing the total equally, which is common among friends. This is a phrase for your own group, not for staff; with people you should be polite to, say "warikan ni shimasho."

💡 "Teikuauto de" (takeout) is understood everywhere too. Staff may ask "omochikaeri desu ka" (is it to go?). Tax can differ between takeout and eating in, so the price may change slightly.

💡 At counters, staff often ask "tennai de omeshiagari desu ka" (will you be eating here?). "Hai" or "tennai de" is the answer if you are staying.

💡 Konbini staff ask this when you buy a boxed meal. Reply "hai, onegaishimasu" for yes, or "iie, sono mama de" (no, as it is) for no. Some stores now have a microwave you use yourself.

💡 Most stores charge a few yen for plastic bags, so staff ask first. The example is the more formal version you will often hear. Answer "hai, onegaishimasu" if you want one.

💡 The standard way to decline a bag. Many people carry their own folding bag, called an "ecobag" in Japanese.

💡 At konbini you will hear "ohashi wa otsuke shimasu ka" (would you like chopsticks?). "Hai" or "iie" is enough. A spoon is "supun" and a fork is "foku" if you need one.