撰文／Gwen
見到餐廳門口標示：「Please wait to be seated.」，縱然如熊一般餓(as hungry as a bear)，稍安勿躁，「請等候安排就座」。男或女服務生(waiter/waitress)帶領入座後，想看菜單可說：「Please bring me the menu./Can I see the menu?」服務生問：「想喝點甚麼？」(Can I get you something to drink?/Would you like something to drink?)，要點啤酒或一杯餐廳招牌/特色酒回答：「I’d like a beer./I’d like a glass of house wine.」
一會兒聽到：「Have you decided what you’d like?/May I have your order, please?/Can I take your order?/May I take you order?/Are you ready to order?」均指「準備好要點菜了嗎？」欲知當天特色菜可問：「What’s the special of the day?/What’s today’s special?」餐廳招牌菜是啥「What’s the speciality of the restaurant?」或乾脆請服務生推薦：「What would you recommend/suggest?」
點菜可套用I’ll have….或I’d like….用語，例如要點一份牛排：「I’ll have/I’d like a steak.」，此時服務生通常接著問要幾分熟：「How would you like your steak done? How would you like your steak served?」
牛排熟度分：雙面微煎，內部通常是冷的，約一分熟(seared/very rare/blue rare)；雙面過火，鎖住血水，微溫的兩分熟(rare)；無特別指定，一般牛排館標準的三分熟(medium rare)為六七成粉紅、最中心暗紅、中間溫熱；五分熟(medium)則外灰棕，中間熱的、紅色，周圍粉紅；周圍呈淡粉紅的七、八分熟(medium well done)到全熟(well-done)。想要全熟就說：「I’ll have my steak well-done.」
餐畢要買單說：「Could I have the check?/May I have the check, please?/Check, please.」欲建議朋友分開付賬：「Let’s go Dutch.」，然後對服務生說分開買單：「Separate check, please.」