Tokyo Restaurant Kanji: Order Like a Local in 20 Minutes

Final boss: restaurant menus.

You've handled subways, streets, and convenience stores. But restaurant kanji? That's where most people give up and just point at pictures.

Not you. Same pattern-based system works here. Let me show you how to order with confidence instead of playing charades with the waiter.

Essential Restaurant Type Recognition

The "屋" (ya) Pattern = Restaurant/Shop

Remember this from street signs? Same logic:

焼き鳥屋 (やきとりや) = Yakitori place → 焼き鳥 = grilled chicken + 屋 = shop
寿司屋 (すしや) = Sushi place → 寿司 = sushi + 屋 = shop
そば屋 (そばや) = Soba noodle shop → そば = buckwheat noodles + 屋 = shop
ラーメン屋 (ラーメンや) = Ramen shop → ラーメン = ramen + 屋 = shop

[Food type] + 屋 = place that serves that food. Simple.

Restaurant Classification

レストラン (resutoran) = Restaurant (katakana)
食堂 (しょくどう) = Dining hall/Cafeteria → 食 = eat + 堂 = hall
喫茶店 (きっさてん) = Coffee shop → 喫茶 = tea drinking + 店 = store
居酒屋 (いざかや) = Izakaya/Pub → 居 = stay + 酒 = alcohol + 屋 = shop

Menu Category Patterns

Meat and Protein

Start with 肉 (にく) = meat. Then:

牛肉 (ぎゅうにく) = Beef → 牛 = cow + 肉 = meat
豚肉 (ぶたにく) = Pork → 豚 = pig + 肉 = meat
鶏肉 (とりにく) = Chicken → 鶏 = chicken + 肉 = meat

Plus:

魚 (さかな) = Fish
海鮮 (かいせん) = Seafood → 海 = sea + 鮮 = fresh

Pattern: [Animal] + 肉 = that animal's meat.

Noodles and Rice

麺 (めん) = Noodles
ラーメン (ramen) = Ramen (katakana)
そば (soba) = Buckwheat noodles (hiragana)
うどん (udon) = Thick wheat noodles (hiragana)
ご飯 (ごはん) = Rice/Meal (hiragana)
チャーハン (chaahan) = Fried rice (katakana)

Vegetables and Sides

野菜 (やさい) = Vegetables → 野 = field + 菜 = greens
サラダ (sarada) = Salad (katakana)
スープ (suupu) = Soup (katakana)
サイド (saido) = Side dish (katakana)

Cooking Method Recognition

Preparation Styles

焼き (やき) = Grilled/Fried → 焼き鳥 (yakitori), お好み焼き (okonomiyaki)
揚げ (あげ) = Deep-fried → 天ぷら (tempura), 唐揚げ (karaage)
煮 (に) = Boiled/Simmered → 煮物 (nimono)
蒸し (むし) = Steamed → 蒸し餃子 (mushi gyoza)
生 (なま) = Raw → 刺身 (sashimi)

Flavor Profiles

辛い (からい) = Spicy
甘い (あまい) = Sweet
酸っぱい (すっぱい) = Sour
しょっぱい (shoppai) = Salty

Drink and Beverage Patterns

Alcoholic Beverages

ビール (biiru) = Beer (katakana)
日本酒 (にほんしゅ) = Japanese sake → 日本 = Japan + 酒 = alcohol
焼酎 (しょうちゅう) = Shochu → 焼 = burn + 酎 = alcohol
ワイン (wain) = Wine (katakana)

Non-Alcoholic Drinks

お茶 (おちゃ) = Tea (hiragana)
コーヒー (koohii) = Coffee (katakana)
水 (みず) = Water
ジュース (juusu) = Juice (katakana)

Service and Ordering Kanji

Service Indicators

注文 (ちゅうもん) = Order → 注 = pour + 文 = text
会計 (かいけい) = Bill/Check → 会 = meet + 計 = calculate
お箸 (おはし) = Chopsticks (hiragana)
おしぼり (oshibori) = Wet towel (hiragana)

Portion and Set Options

定食 (ていしょく) = Set meal → 定 = fixed + 食 = meal
単品 (たんぴん) = Individual item → 単 = single + 品 = item
大盛り (おおもり) = Large portion → 大 = big + 盛り = serve
小盛り (こもり) = Small portion → 小 = small + 盛り = serve

Popular Dish Recognition

Traditional Japanese

寿司 (すし) = Sushi
刺身 (さしみ) = Sashimi → 刺 = pierce + 身 = body
天ぷら (てんぷら) = Tempura
みそ汁 (みそしる) = Miso soup

Modern Favorites

カレー (karee) = Curry (katakana)
オムライス (omuraisu) = Omelet rice (katakana)
ハンバーガー (hanbaagaa) = Hamburger (katakana)
パスタ (pasuta) = Pasta (katakana)

Your Ordering System

Stop staring at the menu confused. Use this order:

Identify restaurant type → 屋, 店, レストラン
Find food category → 肉, 魚, 麺, ご飯
Check cooking method → 焼き, 揚げ, 生
Choose portion size → 大盛り, 小盛り, 定食

Type → Category → Method → Size. Every menu follows this logic.

Memory Tricks for Restaurant Success

焼き鳥 (yakitori): 焼 has fire radical (grilling), 鳥 looks like a bird → "grilled bird"

刺身 (sashimi): 刺 = pierce (cutting), 身 = body → "pierced body" (raw fish)

天ぷら (tempura): Usually written in hiragana, but remember the crispy battered style

定食 (teishoku): 定 = fixed/set, 食 = meal → "set meal"

You're Done

That's it. Four kanji systems for Tokyo navigation:

Subway kanji - Underground movement
Street kanji - Surface navigation
Convenience store kanji - Daily shopping
Restaurant kanji - Eating out

Reality Check

Restaurant menus look scary. But they follow the same pattern logic as everything else.

Start tomorrow: walk into a simple 屋 restaurant. Look for 肉 or 魚. Spot the cooking method. Choose your size. Order something.

You'll probably mess up. Good. That's how you learn.

The goal isn't perfect Japanese. It's not pointing at pictures like a confused tourist. Small difference, huge confidence boost.