Say it or show it
Translate, pay, order
Camera translation
Google Translate or Apple Translate camera mode reads a paper menu instantly; download the Chinese pack for offline use.
QR-code menus
Many restaurants order via a WeChat mini-program on the table QR code; it needs WeChat and usually Chinese. Ask staff for a paper menu: 有纸质菜单吗？
Meituan / Ele.me delivery
Work for foreigners with Alipay set up; halal filter exists (search 清真). Hotel address in Chinese needed.
Table etiquette that helps
- Dishes are shared; order one dish per person plus rice or noodles.
- Tea is usually free or cheap; say 茶 (chá).
- Tipping is not expected.
- Pointing at another table's dish is normal and staff will bring the same.
A five-step routine that works in almost any Chinese restaurant
- Pick the right kind of kitchen first
For Muslim visitors this decides more than any phrase: start from a kitchen with a 清真 (qīngzhēn, halal) sign or from the tagged places on halal Chinese food in Yiwu. Asking a general Chinese kitchen to ‘make it halal’ does not change its woks, stock or oil. The Lanzhou noodle explainer shows the 30-second shop check.
- Find out whether you order at the counter or the table
Noodle and fast-food shops usually take the order and the payment at the counter before you sit; table-service restaurants bring a menu or point you to a QR code on the table. If you are unsure, stand at the counter and say 点菜 (diǎn cài — I’d like to order).
- Say your dietary line before you name a dish
Show the card at the top of the phrase list below first. Staff can then steer you away from dishes they know contain pork, lard or wine, instead of you guessing from the menu.
- Point, count and confirm
Point at the photo or at the next table and say 这个 (zhège, this one), then the number: 一个 (yí ge, one), 两个 (liǎng ge, two). Staff will often repeat the order back; a nod is enough.
- Pay by QR code
Alipay or WeChat Pay with a foreign card works in most Yiwu restaurants; keep some cash as a backup. Setup steps are in the First-Timer Kit.
The lines that matter most — and why ‘no pork’ is not enough
In a Han Chinese kitchen, “no pork” removes the obvious meat but not the hidden ingredients. Three things catch visitors out:
- 肉 (ròu) on its own usually means pork. Dishes such as 肉丝 (shredded meat) or 回锅肉 (twice-cooked meat) are pork unless another animal is named.
- Lard and pork stock. Pastries, fried rice, vegetable dishes and soups can be cooked with 猪油 (lard) or a pork-bone stock, which staff may not think of as “pork”.
- Cooking wine. 料酒 (liàojiǔ, Shaoxing-style rice wine) goes into many marinades and braises across Zhejiang cooking; Yiwu’s own festival chicken is braised in it (see What to eat in Yiwu).
That is why this site tags kitchens, not dishes. A beef dish in a non-halal kitchen is still a non-halal meal for most Muslim diners; a 清真 kitchen removes all three problems at once. How we decide each tag is on How We Review.
How much to order, and what it costs in Yiwu
Chinese meals are shared. A good rule is one dish per person plus one more, and a staple (rice, noodles or bread) for the table; staff will tell you if you have over-ordered — 够了吗？(gòu le ma? — is this enough?) invites the honest answer. Rice often comes at the end unless you ask for it first: 先上米饭 (xiān shàng mǐfàn).
Price bands visitors report for Yiwu (per person, not our own bills yet): Lanzhou and Xinjiang noodle shops roughly ¥10–50; Yemeni and Arab cafés around ¥50–80; the well-known Turkish restaurants on Exotic Street about ¥100–150, more à la carte. Hot water or tea (热水 rè shuǐ, 茶 chá) is often brought without asking; say 冰水 (bīng shuǐ) if you want it cold. Taking leftovers is normal — ask for 打包 (dǎbāo).
Ordering delivery to your hotel
- The apps: Meituan (美团) and Ele.me (饿了么) both work with Alipay set up on a foreign card. Search 清真 to filter halal-labelled shops.
- Treat the app’s halal label as the shop’s own claim. It is the merchant’s statement, the same weight as a shop sign; cross-check the name against our halal food guide when it matters to you.
- Address in Chinese. Copy your hotel’s Chinese address from the booking confirmation, and add 放前台 (fàng qiántái — leave it at reception) in the note field so the rider does not need to call you.
- Phone calls. Riders call when they arrive; if you cannot answer in Chinese, a short text reply in Chinese (到前台了吗？— have you reached reception?) usually works better than a call.
Five mistakes first-timers make
- Asking “halal?” in English. Few staff know the word; 清真 (qīngzhēn) is understood everywhere.
- Assuming a vegetable dish is meat-free. Minced pork, lard and pork stock turn up in tofu and greens; say 我吃素 (wǒ chī sù — I eat vegetarian) if you want none at all.
- Scanning the table QR code without WeChat. Most table menus open inside WeChat and are in Chinese; ask for 纸质菜单 (a paper menu) instead.
- Ordering one main dish each. You end up with too much of one thing; share.
- Trying to tip. It is not expected, and staff may run after you to return it.
Keep the ordering phrases handy
Bookmark this guide or take a screenshot of the phrases above.
Arrival, payment setup and useful Chinese phrases.
First visit checklistQuestions visitors ask
How do I say no pork in Chinese?
不要猪肉 (bú yào zhūròu). Add 不要猪油 (bú yào zhūyóu) for no lard.
Can I use Meituan as a foreigner?
Yes, with Alipay set up on a foreign card and a Chinese-language address; ask your hotel for the address in Chinese.
How do I ask if food is halal in Chinese?
Say 这是清真的吗？(zhè shì qīngzhēn de ma? — is this halal?) or show it written. The word 清真 is the one on halal shop signs across China; staff understand it far better than the English word.
What does 肉 mean on a Chinese menu?
Literally ‘meat’, but in a Han Chinese restaurant a dish that just says 肉 — 肉丝, 肉片, 回锅肉 — is almost always pork. Beef is 牛肉, lamb 羊肉, chicken 鸡肉.
Do I need to tip in restaurants in China?
No. Tipping is not expected in ordinary restaurants in Yiwu, and staff may try to give the money back.
How do I order if the staff do not speak English?
Point at photos or at what the next table is eating, say 这个 (this one) with a number, and show the dietary line from the phrase list. Camera translation (Google or Apple Translate) reads paper menus; for halal needs, choose a 清真 kitchen first so the menu matters less.