Restaurants in China offer incredible food at prices that are still very attractive to visitors. The issue is not finding a good restaurant but being able to order food that suits you when you get there.
If you have some friends or contacts in China then you should be able to get recommendations. Ask for these to be written down in characters; you are unlikely to get any pronunciation correct when it matters.
If you have a local guide for any part of a trip you can always ask them for tips. Most would see your enthusiasm for authentic Chinese food as a very positive thing and do their utmost to get you dishes that you will rave about.
If neither of these apply, then you will have to be prepared to put a little more effort into the task.
A phrasebook will help. Unfortunately these cover so many aspects that the food section usually only lists a very limited range of dishes. To stick with these and these only would be to miss out on so much more authentic Chinese food. Restaurants in China offer many dishes that are not served in the west, either because the ingredients (especially vegetables) are not available or because of our own hangups on certain foodstuffs.
You can get around the language barrier by one of two means:
Point at what other diners are eating. This tactic is great as you will find that many diners will be locals who know what the restaurant cooks particularly well. It is limited in that you may not actually see what a dish contains, and that can be a big drawback if you have special dietary requirements. Go into the kitchen and point at ingredients. Yes – really. I have done it many times. If you really cannot explain what you want, then this is the easiest way. Playing charades is unlikely to get you crispy duck with pancakes and plum sauce unless you are really good – and, even then, would still take an age. In the kitchen staff need not be embarrassed, and you shouldn't worry. There's no ned to point out every ingredient that you want included in a dish; the chefs will add whatever they think necessary to give the dish colour and flavour. You do need to point out anything you don't want.
If all of that sounds like too much hassle then do your research before you leave home. You will need to know a long list of possible dishes as you won't find all dishes at all restaurants in China. You will need to have these dishes translated into Chinese characters for staff to read.
You should not fear eating out in restaurants in China. The staff will make every effort to help you and will generally be more flexible when it comes to to your requests; however strange these may seem. Go armed with a smile and show as much patience in return and you can be sure to have great food and great fun.
A Quick Guide To Restaurants In China is a post from: Traveling China
from Traveling China http://www.chinaya.org
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