What Do You Recommend?

How to use this card

1. Save it before you travel. Download the whole pack from /rescue-cards/ and it works offline — no app, no data plan.
2. Show the big Chinese line to whoever you are talking to. They read characters; the English at the bottom is for you.
3. Say it out loud too if they hesitate. A spoken request gets a faster answer than a silent card, and repeating it removes all doubt.
4. Read the English to understand the reply.

What they will likely say

• “招牌菜是这个，您尝尝。” — The signature dish is this — try it.
• “您几个人？” — How many people are you?
• “辣的要不要来一份？” — Would you like something spicy?
• “这个是招牌，很好吃的。” — This is our speciality, it is very good.

Pro tips

• Follow the answer with 招牌菜 (zhāopái cài) — “the signature dish” — to find out what the restaurant is actually known for. It is the single most reliable food question in China.
• Point at what other tables are eating. A full table of a local diner is a better recommendation than any menu.
• Say 随便 (suíbi, “whatever”) if you are genuinely unbothered. In a casual restaurant it gets you a good meal; in a formal one, order something first.

Related guides

• Full guide — background reading for this situation

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This card is one of the TravelHubChina phrase cards — bilingual, offline, and verified against how people actually talk in China rather than textbook grammar. The full set is free at travelhubchina.com/rescue-cards/.