Maya: Konnichiwa and welcome back to Japanese for Gringos. I'm Maya, and today's lesson is my favorite kind, the delicious kind.
Devon: And I'm Devon. Lesson five, and we're ordering food and drink in Japan. The single most fun sentence you'll ever say in another language is, I'll have this one.
Maya: And by the end of this lesson, you'll say it like a local. Here we go, first phrase. Menyu onegaishimasu. Menu, please. Say it with me, meh-nyoo oh-neh-gah-ee-mahss. That oh-neh-gah-ee-mahss is the same please from lesson two, so it should feel familiar.
Devon: Phrase two, and this is the money phrase. Kore o kudasai. It means this one, please, or I'll have this. Pronounce it koh-reh oh koo-dah-sah-ee. Tip, hold that oh a little longer than you think, koh-reh, then a nice long oh. And you point at the thing you want. Pointing is not rude here, it is the whole strategy.
Maya: Phrase three, for when the thing looks amazing but you have no idea what it is. Kore wa nan desu ka. What is this. Say koh-reh wah nahn dess kah. Tip, hold that ahn in nahn a little longer than you think. This is the question that saves you from accidentally ordering cow tongue.
Devon: Phrase four is pure joy. Oishisou desu. It means it looks delicious. Pronounce it oh-ee-shee-soh dess. Tip, three even syllables, oh, ee, shee, then soh. Flat and even, no stressing the shee. Say it when the food arrives and your server will melt.
Maya: Phrase five, because one plate is never enough. Mo hitotsu onegaishimasu. One more, please. Say moh hee-toh-tsoo oh-neh-gah-ee-mahss. Tip, that tsoo is like the start of tsunami, just tss with a tiny o at the end. And hitotsu, from your numbers toolbox, means one thing.
Devon: Two closing phrases. When you finish eating, say gochisousama deshita. Thank you for the meal, it was delicious. Pronounce it goh-chee-soh-sah-mah desh-tah. And if you want to tell the chef directly, oishikatta desu. It was delicious. Say oh-ee-shee-kah-tah dess. Tip, the tah has a tiny pause before it. Go-chee-soh, pause, sah-mah. Use these and watch what happens.
Maya: Demo time, Devon. We walk into a little noodle shop in Osaka. The menu is all pictures and I can't read a thing.
Devon: Sumimasen. Menyu onegaishimasu.
Maya: Hai. The server hands us the menu and points at a photo of something steaming and gorgeous.
Devon: Oishisou desu. Kore wa nan desu ka.
Maya: That is ramen. The classic.
Devon: Kore o kudasai. And after I finish, gochisousama deshita.
Maya: Perfect gringo, perfect Japanese. You pointed, you asked, you ate, you thanked.
Devon: Cultural note. In Japan, most casual restaurants have plastic replicas of every dish in the window, or photos on the menu. Pointing at the replica and saying kore o kudasai is not just allowed, it is the normal way locals order too. And in many small shops, you pay at the register by the door, not at the table. So don't sit there waiting for a check that never comes.
Maya: Before we close, the three-phrase recap drill. Devon, quiz me.
Devon: You want the menu.
Maya: Menyu onegaishimasu. Meh-nyoo oh-neh-gah-ee-mahss.
Devon: You want that gorgeous thing in the photo.
Maya: Kore o kudasai. Koh-reh oh koo-dah-sah-ee.
Devon: You just finished, and it was amazing.
Maya: Gochisousama deshita. Goh-chee-soh-sah-mah desh-tah.
Devon: Seven new phrases today, and you can already walk into any restaurant in Japan and eat like a champion.
Maya: Next lesson, we stay at the table for the full restaurant experience. Practice pointing at your lunch today and saying kore o kudasai. Sah-yoh-nah-rah, friends.
Devon: Sah-yoh-nah-rah. Go eat something good.