Restaurant reservations Part 2 (Advanced): Specifying any dietary restrictions or special requests.

💬 Put 請問 in front of almost any question to make it polite, like 請問廁所在哪裡？ "Excuse me, where's the restroom?" You'll hear it constantly from both staff and customers.

💬 請問 "may I ask" plus 呢 at the end softens a question so it sounds gentle rather than blunt. 什麼樣的 means "what kind of", and you can put any noun after it: 什麼樣的房間 "what kind of room".

💬 In 吃素 the action word 吃 is built in, so you say 我吃素 "I'm vegetarian" with no 是 needed.

🇹🇼 Vegetarianism is common in Taiwan, often for Buddhist reasons, so staff understand 吃素 immediately. Some people eat vegetarian only on certain days, so the restaurant may ask exactly what you avoid.

🇹🇼 Look for a 卍 sign or the words 素食 on a shopfront in Taiwan. They mark a fully vegetarian restaurant, and these are found everywhere.

🇹🇼 In Taiwan, 全素 is often understood in the Buddhist sense, which also excludes scallions, garlic, onions and similar plants. If you're vegan but eat those, say so clearly.

💬 蛋 (dàn) means "egg" and 奶 (nǎi) means "milk", so the label spells out exactly what's allowed. You'll also see 奶素 "dairy but no eggs" and 蛋素 "eggs but no dairy".

🇹🇼 Restaurant staff ask about these because the stricter Buddhist vegetarian diet avoids pungent plants like scallions, garlic and onions. They're in almost every Taiwanese dish.

💬 Adding 嗎 to the end of a statement turns it into a yes/no question. The answer is just 可以 "yes, can" or 不可以 "no".

💬 The food is named first, as the topic, and the question comes after. 這些 "these" works like "things like that". You can reuse the pattern: 牛肉這些可以吃嗎？ "Can she eat things like beef?"

💬 Taiwan commonly says 蝦子 (xiā zi) for shrimp, where the mainland often just says 蝦. The 子 (zi) is said lightly with no tone.

💬 The allergen goes between 對 and 過敏: 對 ___ 過敏. You can swap in other foods, like 對花生過敏 "allergic to peanuts" or 對牛奶過敏 "allergic to milk".

💬 滿 (mǎn) followed by an adjective and 的 is a very Taiwanese way to say "pretty/quite". Examples are 滿好吃的 "pretty tasty" and 滿遠的 "quite far".

💬 招牌 literally means "shop sign", and before a dish it means the house specialty.

🇹🇼 Asking 你們的招牌菜是什麼？ "What's your signature dish?" is a normal, friendly way to order in Taiwan.

💬 米 usually means "rice", but 蝦米 means dried shrimp, with no rice involved.

🇹🇼 Dried shrimp is often hidden in fried rice, vegetables and sauces. Mention it specifically if you have a shellfish allergy.

🇹🇼 Taiwanese diners talk about the 湯頭 of noodle soup or hot pot as its heart. It's also where meat or seafood often hides in a dish that looks safe.

💬 用 + ingredient + action means "make by ___ing with ingredient". 熬 (áo) means "slow-simmer for a long time", so 用雞骨熬 means "simmered from chicken bones".

💬 時 after an action means "when doing it", and it goes after the action rather than before. Another example is 吃飯時 "while eating".

💬 會 here means "will", a plan for the future, not "know how to". 那 at the start means "in that case".

💬 交代 (jiāo dài) means giving clear instructions so someone handles a matter properly. It's stronger than just "telling". The person comes after 跟 and before the action.

🇹🇼 Staff saying they'll 特別跟廚房交代 is a reassuring promise that your allergy will be passed on directly. It's fine to confirm again when you arrive.

💬 另外的 before a noun means "a separate/different one". Another example is 另外的桌子 "another table".

🇹🇼 Taiwanese people say this to thank someone for taking on extra effort for you. It's the natural closing after making a special request, and it sounds more gracious than a simple 謝謝.

💬 不會 here means "it's no trouble", not "can't". The 啦 makes the reply sound warm and casual. It's the standard reply to 麻煩你了 or 謝謝.

🇹🇼 This is a set, humble service reply in Taiwan. It brushes off thanks by framing the help as simply part of the job.

💬 來電 (lái diàn) literally means "incoming call". It's a polite, written-sounding word you'll hear mainly from businesses.