Useful English Expressions for Restaurants

🍎 Today's Expression

Vocabulary

- relocate: 고쳐놓다, 이사하다

- dietary restriction: 식이 제한

- Idioms 숙어 (= phrases that mean something different than what is said)

- Rain on your parade = ruin your day | make you feel bad

 

Phrases

Ordering

I would like to order ____.
May I please have ____?
Could you please get me _____?
I would like to order the same thing.
Could I also have ___, but with/without ___?

 

Requesting Modifications or Information

- Does this contain ___?

- Is ____ dairy/gluten free?

- Do you have any celiac-friendly choices?

- Can I substitute  ____ for another option?

- I don’t eat ____, could I have a different sauce/side?

- Do you have any ____-free options?

 

Learning More About Your Food

- What is in season right now?

- Can you describe ___ to me?

- I have never eaten ___ before. What does it taste like?

- What is the texture?

- Is it similar to ____?

- Can you tell me more about it?

 

Compliments and Concerns

- This is absolutely delicious.
- We are loving the food!
- I’m so sorry to ask, but could you bring me more _____?
- I’m sorry, but I don’t like this at all. Are you sure it was prepared properly?
- Do you mind taking this back to cook more?

Pronunciation

- Leader (you said 'liter'): It's a soft 'D'

- Nervous (you're saying 'nerv오s'): 'nervis'

- Recommend: Put emphasis on the 'M'

- Questions (before, you were saying 'kestian'): 'kwes-chian'

- Expression (you're saying 'expressi오n'): 'expresh인'

 

 

👩🏻‍🏫 Overall Feedback

Hi, it was great seeing you again! I enjoyed talking to you about our scenarios - I had fun! Some areas to work on are pronunciation and the use of idioms. To work on these areas, I suggest that you learn some idioms from Chloe!

 

 

✍🏻 In-depth Feedback

1. [Small Talk] How was your day?

I became a leader in this project. I didn't want to be a leader of this project, but my teammates recommend me. So I became a leader. It's our first project, so it will be a tight schedule. Learn the process of this project.

→ I became a leader for this project. Even though I didn't want to step up to the role, my teammates nominated me to do so. Since it was our first project, we didn't have any sprints to deal with. Instead, this project was about learning the process of working together on a big task. 

 

2. [Role Playing] You are ordering pizza, pasta, and salad at an Italian fine-dining restaurant for three people. One is a vegetarian, the other has a nut allergy, and the third is lactose intolerant. How do you go about ordering food that is suitable for everyone?

I'd like to order vegan pizza. Broccoli pasta, and tofu salad. And could I also have these menus without meat and milk, it's so difficult to order, but because I have a nut allergy and my friends have lactose intolerant and vegetarian.

→ I hope this doesn't rain on your parade, but my friends have a lot of dietary restrictions. One is a vegetarian, the other is lactose intolerant and can't process dairy, and the third has a nut allergy. I know that these are a lot of restrictions, but is there anything on the menu that fulfills all of these criteria? 

 

3. [Role Playing] You are proposing to your fiance at dinner and want to hide the ring under a plate that will be served by your waiter. Plan the details with them.

Actually, the reason I choose these questions is. First, it's very interesting. A few months ago, Chloe and I went to Guam island. We went to a restaurant, and we order our food. And then, I thought, "My English expression in a restaurant, in daily life, I have to study in like daily life expression. But also in business."

This Christmas, I will propose to my fiance at dinner. Could you hide this ring under a dessert plate and serve it to us when we eat dessert almost. And then, turn off the light in this restaurant. Turn off the light except for our table.

→ The reason I chose this question actually stems from the time Chloe and I went to Guam. When we were at a restaurant and had to order food in English, I realized that my colloquial English needed work.
This Christmas, I will propose to my fiance at dinner. I know this sounds cliche, but can you put this ring on the table around the time when dessert is served? Additionally, since I will book the entire restaurant for the night, can you turn off all of the lights except for the one at our table? 

 

 

📔 Today I learned

- 오늘은 튜터가 유용한 단어 뿐만 아니라 숙어도 알려주어서 좋았다. 숙어는 general한 영어 단어라기보다, 진짜 찐 영어식 표현이라서 찐 원어민이 알려주면 좋은 것 같다. 가끔 요즘은 안쓰는 숙어가 있을 수 있기에!

- 튜터가 교정해준 발음은 나중에도 계속 신경써서 말하게 되는 것 같다.

- 처음으로 롤플레잉 하는 교재를 선택했는데, 평소 하던 시사/테크 분야보다 가벼웠지만 그래도 refresh되는 느낌이었다.

- 특히 dietary restriction이 있는 사람들과 레스토랑에서 식사 주문을 할 때는 내가 제안했던 order 방식보다 아예 다른 방법으로 알려주어서 좋았다.