Xiaoyu and Chen Hao are having lunch out. The waiter takes the order; Xiaoyu does not eat spicy food.
Xiaoyu
服务员，我们点菜。
Fúwùyuán, wǒmen diǎn cài.
Waiter, we would like to order.
The waiter
好的，你们想吃什么？
Hǎo de, nǐmen xiǎng chī shénme ?
Certainly, what would you like to eat?
Chen Hao
一个宫保鸡丁，一个青菜。
Yī gè gōngbǎo jīdīng, yī gè qīngcài.
One kung pao chicken and one plate of greens.
Xiaoyu
我不吃辣，可以少放辣椒吗？
Wǒ bù chī là, kěyǐ shǎo fàng làjiāo ma ?
I do not eat spicy food. Could you go easy on the chilli?
The waiter
可以。还要米饭吗？
Kěyǐ. Hái yào mǐfàn ma ?
Of course. Would you like rice as well?
Chen Hao
要两碗。再来两杯茶。
Yào liǎng wǎn. Zài lái liǎng bēi chá.
Two bowls. And two teas as well.
The waiter
好的，请稍等。
Hǎo de, qǐng shāo děng.
Very good, one moment please.
Xiaoyu
这家店的菜很好吃。
Zhè jiā diàn de cài hěn hǎochī.
The food in this place is very good.
Chen Hao
是啊，也不贵。
Shì a, yě bù guì.
It is, and it is not expensive either.
In a Chinese restaurant you hail the waiter by the job title, 服务员, out loud and with no preamble. It is neither rude nor over-familiar: it is simply what is done, and waiting to be noticed can take a long time. In younger places you also hear 帅哥 and 美女, but 服务员 works everywhere.
再来两杯茶 literally says "come two more cups of tea". The verb 来 stands in for any verb of ordering when the context is clear, and 再 marks the addition. It is the turn of phrase used to add to an order already placed.
个 for a dish, 碗 for a bowl of rice, 杯 for a cup of tea, 家 for an establishment. Chinese has no all-purpose measure word, and using 个 everywhere is noticed at once. The ones in this lesson already cover half the situations you meet at table.
