Is it common for a restaurant to have menu(s) without a local language?
Apr 24, 2019, 10:29 pm
#1
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Is it common for a restaurant to have menu(s) without a local language?
For example, is it common that, when I try to visit a place where I know some (but not all) its languages, but it turns out that the menu(s) are not written in the languages I know, but only in the other local languages I don't know.
I'm asking this question because I live in Hong Kong, but some restaurants only have menu(s) in Chinese, and some only have menu(s) in English.
I'm asking this question because I live in Hong Kong, but some restaurants only have menu(s) in Chinese, and some only have menu(s) in English.
Apr 25, 2019, 4:59 am
#3
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For example, is it common that, when I try to visit a place where I know some (but not all) its languages, but it turns out that the menu(s) are not written in the languages I know, but only in the other local languages I don't know.
I'm asking this question because I live in Hong Kong, but some restaurants only have menu(s) in Chinese, and some only have menu(s) in English.
I'm asking this question because I live in Hong Kong, but some restaurants only have menu(s) in Chinese, and some only have menu(s) in English.
Apr 25, 2019, 5:45 am
#4
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It used to be fairly common in the UK in smarter French restaurants to have menus written solely in French - but then pretty well all the clientele would have good command of menu French. It's now confined to the very best restaurants. At the Waterside Inn a couple of months ago, we were all given French menus - I don't know if English was available.
Apr 25, 2019, 5:49 am
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Sometimes the French menu is more informative, for example magnet de canard is much more specific or descriptive than duck or even duck breast. Similarly, the words for chicken in both French and German specify the age and gender of the bird and these details usually don't appear on the English menu.
Apr 25, 2019, 6:38 am
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Haven’t been for a while, but it certainly used to be the case that there were restaurants in Barcelona that would have their menu solely in catalán.
I was invited to a place in Bilbao some time ago (it was sort of a dining club) where everything was in euskara. I speak Spanish and can follow Catalonian, but the Basque language may as well be Kurdish. I let my host choose for me, the meal was fabulous!
I was invited to a place in Bilbao some time ago (it was sort of a dining club) where everything was in euskara. I speak Spanish and can follow Catalonian, but the Basque language may as well be Kurdish. I let my host choose for me, the meal was fabulous!
Apr 25, 2019, 4:19 pm
#8
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I actually prefer when a menu has the local language and English side by side rather than separate menus. As I speak basic Spanish and French, I find the English translation can be a little off, sometimes too literal.
Apr 25, 2019, 4:30 pm
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The languages displayed actually show their intended targeted customers.
So I won't be surprised that some restaurants do not have a menu based on the local language.
So I won't be surprised that some restaurants do not have a menu based on the local language.
Apr 25, 2019, 4:36 pm
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Apr 30, 2019, 3:39 am
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But certainly within Europe I'm often a little disappointed in countries with more commonly spoken languages when the menu has a translation - I like to practice my basic restaurant language skills.
Apr 30, 2019, 6:37 am
#12
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I can manage to feed myself in any country using the Latin alphabet but when in those European countries using Cyrillic an English translation is much appreciated.
May 1, 2019, 10:47 am
#13
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China, j'amuse
This was from a menu at 紫藤轩, a halal restaurant in Beijing. (Chinese "halal" restaurants always come with beer, and probably pork. Not the same thing with Lanzhou lamian holes-in-the-wall.)
Oct 1, 2019, 8:25 pm
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Yes. So a restaurant in a non-English speaking country which only has an English menu should be avoided as it's clearly a tourist trap.
But certainly within Europe I'm often a little disappointed in countries with more commonly spoken languages when the menu has a translation - I like to practice my basic restaurant language skills.
But certainly within Europe I'm often a little disappointed in countries with more commonly spoken languages when the menu has a translation - I like to practice my basic restaurant language skills.