Lessons · Level 1
1-5. Ordering food — at restaurants and street stalls
Gọi món ở quán ăn
🎯 Goal Call the staff, order the way you like (not spicy, no cilantro) and pay · about 30 min
Restaurant culture in Ho Chi Minh City
In Ho Chi Minh City, small local eateries and street stalls are called quán ('wang'). Many have plastic stools, and plenty serve just one or two dishes.
To call the staff, say 'Em ơi!' ('em uhy'); to pay, say 'Tính tiền!' ('tin tee-uhng'). Most places let you pay at your table.
We'll practice with Ho Chi Minh City favorites: cơm tấm (broken rice with grilled pork chop), phở and hủ tiếu.
Restaurant words
| Vietnamese | Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| quán | eatery, small restaurant | wang |
| thực đơn | menu Saying 'menu' works too | tewk duhng |
| cơm tấm | broken rice | kuhm tuhm |
| phở bò | beef pho | fuh baw |
| hủ tiếu | Southern rice noodle soup | hoo tee-oo |
| cà phê sữa đá | iced milk coffee | ka fay sew-uh da |
| trà đá | iced tea Often free at local eateries | cha da |
| cay | spicy | kai |
| đá | ice | da |
| ngò | coriander South: ngò / North: rau mùi | ngaw |
| ớt | chili | uhk |
| tô | bowl South: tô / North: bát | toh |
| dĩa | plate South: dĩa / North: đĩa | yee-uh |
| mang về | takeaway | mang yay |
Sentences for ordering
| Vietnamese | Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Em ơi! | Excuse me! If the staff member is older: Chị ơi! / Anh ơi! | em uhy! |
| Cho anh xem thực đơn. | Can I see the menu? | chaw an sem tewk duhng. |
| Món nào ngon nhất? | Which dish is the best? | mawng nao ngawng nyuhk? |
| Cho anh một phần cơm tấm sườn. | One broken rice with grilled pork chop, please. | chaw an mohk fuhng kuhm tuhm sew-uhng. |
| Cho anh một tô phở bò tái. | One bowl of rare beef pho, please. tái = rare beef / chín = well-done beef | chaw an mohk toh fuh baw tai. |
| Không cay nha. | Not spicy, please. | khohng kai nya. |
| Không bỏ ngò nha. | No coriander, please. bỏ = to put in. Không bỏ ~ = don't put in ~ | khohng baw ngaw nya. |
| Cho anh một ly cà phê sữa đá, ít đường. | One iced milk coffee, less sugar. | chaw an mohk lee ka fay sew-uh da, it dew-uhng. |
| Không đá nha. | No ice, please. | khohng da nya. |
| Cho anh mang về. | To go, please. | chaw an mang yay. |
| Em ơi, tính tiền! | Excuse me, the bill please! | em uhy, tin tee-uhng! |
| Ngon quá! | So delicious! | ngawng wa! |
Real conversation — at a cơm tấm place in An Phú
Minsu is at a local cơm tấm eatery in An Phú, District 2. The server is younger than him.
| Minsu | Em ơi, cho anh xem thực đơn. | Excuse me, can I see the menu? |
| Staff | Dạ, đây anh. Anh ăn ở đây hay mang về? | Here you go. For here or to go? |
| Minsu | Ăn ở đây. Món nào ngon nhất vậy em? | For here. What's the best dish? |
| Staff | Cơm tấm sườn bì chả là ngon nhất đó anh. | Broken rice with pork chop, shredded pork skin and egg meatloaf is the best. |
| Minsu | Vậy cho anh một phần. Không bỏ ớt nha. | Then one of those, please. No chili. |
| Staff | Dạ. Anh uống gì? | Okay. What would you like to drink? |
| Minsu | Cho anh một ly trà đá. | One iced tea, please. |
| Staff | Dạ, anh đợi chút nha. | Sure, please wait a moment. |
| Minsu | Em ơi, tính tiền! | Excuse me, the bill please! |
| Staff | Dạ, của anh năm mươi lăm ngàn. | That's 55,000 dong. |
| Minsu | Gửi em. Ngon lắm! | Here you go. It was really good! |
| Staff | Dạ, cảm ơn anh. Lần sau anh ghé nha! | Thank you. Please come again! |
Ordering tips
- With just Không bỏ ~ nha ('khong baw ~ nya') you can say 'no ~, please' for anything: Không bỏ ngò (cilantro), Không bỏ hành (green onion), Không bỏ ớt (chili).
- To ask for more: Cho thêm ~ ('chaw them'): Cho thêm cơm (more rice), Cho thêm đá (more ice).
- Ordering coffee: ít đường (less sugar), ít đá (less ice), cà phê đen (black coffee). Vietnamese coffee is very sweet and strong.
- Phở beef: tái (rare), chín (well-done), bò viên (beef balls).
Things to watch out for at restaurants
- At many places, wet towels (khăn lạnh) or peanuts and snacks on the table cost money if you open or eat them (usually a few thousand VND). Leave them alone if you don't need them.
- Seafood restaurants sometimes list prices per kg (giá theo ký) or as 'market price' (thời giá). Check the weight and price before ordering.
- When you get the bill, check there's nothing you didn't order. You can ask 'Cái này là gì?' ('kai nai la yee?' = What's this?).
- For the first few weeks, until your stomach adjusts, go easy on raw food and street ice.