Menu Translation Please

[alidoll]

Hello from Scotland !

Can someone please point me in the right direction to a document / website where they have a basic menu reader / translator. Even if it is in Chinese characters only with english translation.

I arrive in China in 2 weeks and would like to have an emergency menu guide to help me where there might not be English menus (I prefer to eat with locals rather than tourist areas)

Also, whilst I am on this forum, can someone tell me what I might be able to do in a restaurant to use to eat ? I have arthritis in my hands and fingers and cannot control chopsticks anymore, but I am still young so people might not realise that I have arthritis and think I am being rude.

Thanks in advance !

[gougou]

Hmm, if you prefer to go to the mom'n'pop noodle shop the locals frequent, your chances of getting a knife and fork might be considerably smaller than in the upmarket restaurants catering to foreigners.

I've never tried asking for a knife and fork ([pop=knife and fork/dāochā]刀叉[/pop]) there, but I would recommend you to carry a set around with you just in case.

[imron]

Here's a list of basic chinese dishes that my school gives to new teachers when they arrive. It's mostly northern-style food so you might not be able to find some of the dishes if you're in a more southerly region of China. The list contains Chinese characters, pinyin and an English description.

Common Chinese Dishes.doc

[roddy]

I'd pick up a phrasebook, most will have a decent menu section in. As for eating utensils, just carry one of those travel knife and fork sets - people might think you are a little odd, but not rude. Actually for most food bar noodles you could probably just use a spoon . . .

[alidoll]

Thanks for the advice - much appreciated.

I am planning to take my own set of cutlery with me.

I will probably be able to eat the food with a combination of a spoon and a chopstick to get/hold it on the spoon !

Thanks

[horas]

*

IMO the most complete list/explanation about Chinese food/menu etc. online is from the file:

http://www.chinese-forums.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=344&d=1143091852

Probably Roddy should make it a sticky?

The pdf file (452 kB) was sent by 'novemberfog' in the thread:

Forum / Food / Menu translation project

http://www.chinese-forums.com/index.php?/topic/8090-menu-translation-project

If I remember correctly, that file is originally from the site:

http://www.gtz.de/en/

but because of site restructuring, the old link of that file is dead, I can't find the new link.

-

[alidoll]

Thank you

[skylee]

I've browsed through the pdf file and noted some typos -

冷葷累 (should be 類)

xiǎolóngbāo ‘(little-dragon-bao) small steamed buns’ 小龙包／小龍包 (should be 笼/籠, and it refers to the bamboo basket)