Ordering lunch at a sit-down restaurant can be tricky. In this episode, Andrew and Suzanne conclude their chat about ordering lunch. Join them as they discuss some useful questions and phrases related to ordering lunch at a sit-down restaurant.

Fun fact

In Canada, tipping, leaving a gratuity, is common practice and the proper etiquette when paying for a meal at a sit-down restaurant. Generally, tipping 15% to 20% of your final bill is considered to be the norm, especially if the service was satisfactory.

Although many restaurants around the world include the service charge in the price of the meal, this is rarely the case in Canada. Most restaurants will leave tipping up to the discretion of the customer.

Expressions included in the learning materials

* Can you help me order?

* What do you recommend?

* Can I replace that with this?

* Can I get the rest to go?

* I’m in a rush

Sample transcript

Suzanne:

If you want to learn English for everyday use, you’ve come to the right place. At Culips, we help make English understandable. By listening to our podcast, you can learn natural expressions and conversational structure. If you’re interested in learning more about Culips and what we do, check us out on Facebook or our website, Culips.com. That’s C-U-L-I-P-S.com. Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy this episode.

Andrew:

Welcome back everybody to another Real Talk episode. Today’s episode is part two of our lunch ordering series—the second and final part. Last time, we looked at ordering lunch at a fast-food restaurant, but today, we’re gonna listen to a dialogue, and then examine the key expressions used when ordering lunch at a regular restaurant, where you sit down and order from a server. So let’s get right to it. Here we go, part two of how to order lunch.

We are in the situation of ordering lunch at a sit-down Vietnamese restaurant. Are you a fan of Vietnamese food, Suzanne?

Suzanne:

I love Vietnamese food. In fact, there is a great Vietnamese restaurant right around the corner from my house. I think I order from there once a week. They know me. They know my order, and my accent in French.

Andrew:

I also love Vietnamese food, and I think Montreal has some of the best Vietnamese food in Canada. It is …

Suzanne:

I agree.

Andrew:

Delicious and done right in Montreal, so …

Suzanne:

And Vietnamese sandwiches are also very good for lunch.

Andrew:

They are on point, I agree. OK. So here is situation two. Please listen to our dialogue: ordering lunch at a Vietnamese restaurant.

Server:

Hey. How are you guys doing today? What can I get for you two?

Customer 1:

Hi. I’ll have the number four, the rare steak and brisket pho.

Server:

OK. What size?

Customer 1:

Um, just a small, please.

Server:

Sure. And for you?

Customer 2:

Um, I’ll have the number 30, the grilled pork noodle bowl, but with no cilantro, please.

Server:

OK. Um, a number 30, no cilantro. Anything to drink?

Customer 1:

Um. No, water is fine.

Server:

OK, great. Thanks.

Andrew:

We just listened to a dialogue where a couple of customers ordered lunch at a sit-down Vietnamese restaurant, and so now, we will check out the language they used to make their order. And so, Suzanne, what did they start off with? What was the first question we heard?