We've put together a complete guide for ordering seafood (海鲜 hǎi xiān) in Chinese to make it simple for you!

Choosing seafood

When ordering seafood in China, your server may ask: “你想吃什么海鲜？(Nǐ xiǎng chī shén me hǎi xiān?)” which means, "What kind of seafood would you like to eat?" You can respond by naming the seafood you prefer:

Fish: 鱼 yú

Shrimp: 虾 xiā

Crab: 螃蟹 páng xiè

Lobster: 龙虾 lóng xiā

Scallops: 扇贝 shàn bèi

Clams: 蛤蜊 gé lí

Oysters: 生蚝 shēng háo

Squid: 鱿鱼 yóu yú

Octopus: 章鱼 zhāng yú

Cooking methods

Our server might ask: “你想要怎么做？(Nǐ xiǎng yào zěn me zuò?)”, meaning "How would you like it prepared?" Here are some common methods:

Steamed: 清蒸 qīng zhēng

Stir-fried: 炒 chǎo

Grilled: 烤 kǎo

Boiled: 水煮 shuǐ zhǔ

Braised: 红烧 hóng shāo

Deep-fried: 油炸 yóu zhá

Salt and pepper: 椒盐 jiāo yán

Seafood sauces and seasonings

Chinese seafood dishes often come with different sauces or seasonings. Here are some common ones:

Garlic sauce: 蒜蓉 suàn róng

Black bean sauce: 豆豉 dòu chǐ

Spicy sauce: 麻辣 má là

Sweet and sour sauce: 糖醋 táng cù

Soy sauce: 酱油 jiàng yóu

Ginger and scallion: 姜葱 jiāng cōng

Ordering seafood in Chinese

Here's a sample conversation for ordering seafood:

你: “请问，你们有什么海鲜？(Qǐng wèn, nǐ men yǒu shén me hǎi xiān?)”(Excuse me, what seafood do you have?)

服务员: “我们有螃蟹、龙虾、鲈鱼、扇贝等等。(Wǒ men yǒu páng xiè, lóng xiā, lú yú, shàn bèi děng děng.)”(We have crab, lobster, sea bass, scallops, etc.)

你: “我要一只清蒸螃蟹和一盘椒盐鱿鱼。(Wǒ yào yī zhī qīng zhēng páng xiè hé yī pán jiāo yán yóu yú.)”(I'd like a steamed crab and a plate of salt and pepper squid.)

服务员: “好的，请稍等。(Hǎo de, qǐng shāo děng.)”(Okay, please wait a moment.)

With this guide, you'll be ready to enjoy delicious seafood in China!