When you sit down at a restaurant in Beijing, Shanghai, or Chengdu, you will quickly notice paper menus have virtually vanished. Instead, table QR codes connect you to a WeChat or Alipay Mini-Program (小程序).
While efficient for locals, navigating Chinese user interfaces can be overwhelming. Here is your cheat sheet to cracking the digital menu code.
The 4 Main Menu Categories (Left Sidebar)
In almost every ordering mini-program, menu categories run down the left side of the screen:
- 热销 / 招牌 (Rèxiāo / Zhāopái): Best Sellers / Signature Dishes (start here for the safest, most popular choices).
- 特色菜 (Tèsè cài): House Specialties.
- 主食 (Zhǔshí): Staples (Rice, Noodles, Dumplings, Buns).
- 热菜 / 炒菜 (Rècài / Chǎocài): Hot Wok Dishes / Stir-fries.
- 凉菜 (Liángcài): Cold Appetizers.
- 汤类 (Tāng lèi): Soups.
- 酒水饮料 (Jiǔshuǐ yǐnliào): Drinks & Alcohol.
Customizing Your Dish (Pop-Up Modals)
When you tap a dish with multiple options, a customization pop-up window appears. Here is what the choices mean:
1. Spice Level (辣度 Làdù)
- 免辣 / 不辣 (Miǎn là / Bù là): Zero spice.
- 微辣 (Wēi là): Mild spice (in Sichuan or Hunan, this is still noticeably hot!).
- 中辣 (Zhōng là): Medium spice.
- 特辣 (Tè là): Extra hot (exercise caution).
2. Herbs & Seasonings (忌口 Jìkǒu)
- 不要香菜 (Bù yào xiāngcài): No cilantro / coriander (the #1 request from Westerners!).
- 不要葱 (Bù yào cōng): No scallions / green onions.
- 不要蒜 (Bù yào suàn): No garlic.
- 少盐 (Shǎo yán): Less salt.
- 不要味精 (Bù yào wèijīng): No MSG.
3. Beverage Options (Drinks & Milk Tea)
- 正常冰 / 少冰 / 去冰 (Zhèngcháng bīng / Shǎo bīng / Qù bīng): Regular ice / Less ice / No ice.
- 半糖 / 微糖 / 不加糖 (Bàn táng / Wēi táng / Bù jiā táng): 50% sugar / 30% sugar / No sugar.
Common Mini-Program Troubleshooting
Issue 1: “Please provide a Chinese mobile number (+86)”
Some mini-programs require account registration.
- Workaround: Look for a small text link saying “以游客身份点餐” (Order as Guest) or tap the back arrow and look for an Alipay alternative QR code. If blocked, flag down a waiter: “Bùhuì yòng shǒujī, kěyǐ rén’gōng diǎncān ma?” (I cannot use the mobile app, can we order manually?).
Issue 2: Payment Fails at Checkout
Mini-programs occasionally fail when triggering foreign card authorization.
- Workaround: Choose “到店付” (Pay at Counter / Offline Pay) instead of prepaying in the app, or have the cashier scan your personal Alipay/WeChat QR code at the register.