Ordering Spicy Food in Sichuan
IntermediateTravel
A first-time visitor to Sichuan asks a waiter about spicy dishes and requests recommendations at a small restaurant.
L
LinW
WeiL
你好，请问你们店里有什么招牌菜吗？
nǐ hǎo, qǐng wèn nǐ men diàn lǐ yǒu shén me zhāo pái cài ma?
Hello, may I ask what signature dishes your restaurant has?
W
我们的招牌菜是水煮鱼和麻婆豆腐，都特别受欢迎。
wǒ men de zhāo pái cài shì shuǐ zhǔ yú hé má pó dòu fu, dōu tè bié shòu huān yíng.
Our signature dishes are boiled fish and mapo tofu, both are especially popular.
L
听起来不错，不过我是第一次来四川，有点儿怕辣。
tīng qǐ lái bú cuò, bú guò wǒ shì dì yī cì lái sì chuān, yǒu diǎn er pà là.
That sounds great, but it's my first time in Sichuan, and I'm a little afraid of spicy food.
W
没关系，辣度我们可以调，您想要微辣还是中辣？
méi guān xì, là dù wǒ men kě yǐ tiáo, nín xiǎng yào wēi là hái shì zhōng là?
No problem, we can adjust the spiciness. Would you like mild or medium spicy?
L
那就微辣吧。除了辣的，你们还有什么不辣的推荐吗？
nà jiù wēi là ba. chú le là de, nǐ men hái yǒu shén me bú là de tuī jiàn ma?
Then mild, please. Besides the spicy ones, do you have any non-spicy recommendations?
W
当然有，我推荐您试试开水白菜，味道很清淡，很适合第一次来的客人。
dāng rán yǒu, wǒ tuī jiàn nín shì shì kāi shuǐ bái cài, wèi dào hěn qīng dàn, hěn shì hé dì yī cì lái de kè rén.
Of course. I recommend you try the boiled cabbage in broth; the flavor is very light and suits first-time visitors.
L
好，那我要一份微辣的麻婆豆腐，再来一份开水白菜。
hǎo, nà wǒ yào yí fèn wēi là de má pó dòu fu, zài lái yí fèn kāi shuǐ bái cài.
Okay, then I'll have a portion of mild mapo tofu, plus a portion of the boiled cabbage.
W
好的。要不要再点一个凉菜？我们的口水鸡也挺有名的。
hǎo de. yào bú yào zài diǎn yí gè liáng cài? wǒ men de kǒu shuǐ jī yě tǐng yǒu míng de.
Sure. Would you like to order a cold dish too? Our saliva chicken is quite famous.
L
口水鸡辣不辣？要是太辣的话，我就不点了。
kǒu shuǐ jī là bú là? yào shì tài là de huà, wǒ jiù bù diǎn le.
Is the saliva chicken spicy? If it's too spicy, I won't order it.
W
它是有点辣，不过主要是麻香味，可以让厨房少放点辣椒。
tā shì yǒu diǎn là, bú guò zhǔ yào shì má xiāng wèi, kě yǐ ràng chú fáng shǎo fàng diǎn là jiāo.
It is a bit spicy, but the main flavor is the numbing aroma; we can ask the kitchen to add less chili.
L
那太好了，那就麻烦你让他们少放点辣椒，我想尝尝看。
nà tài hǎo le, nà jiù má fan nǐ ràng tā men shǎo fàng diǎn là jiāo, wǒ xiǎng cháng chang kàn.
That's great. Then please ask them to add less chili; I'd like to give it a try.
W
好的，您稍等，菜马上就好，祝您用餐愉快！
hǎo de, nín shāo děng, cài mǎ shàng jiù hǎo, zhù nín yòng cān yú kuài!
Okay, please wait a moment. The dishes will be ready soon. Enjoy your meal!