VOCABULARY - Going to a Restaurant

When you enter a restaurant, the host may ask: “How many are you?” or "How Many?". He or she is asking you how many people will be at your table. If a waiter or waitress has come to take your order, but you are not ready yet, a good expression to use is, “We would like a little longer please." or "Sorry, we still haven't decided."


Vocabulary:
- À la Carte: To order “à la carte” is to order from a large choice of items on the menu, instead of choosing a “set menu”. Most restaurants require one to order à la carte.

- [Dish] of the day: What the restaurant is featuring that day; this is also sometimes called the special.

- Cut back on: To eat less of a certain food. For example, “I am cutting back on my carbs,” means that I am trying to eat fewer carbohydrates and most likely indicates an effort to lose weight.

- Hot: This word has two possible meanings:
1) It may refer to the temperature of the food; e.g., “The soup was so hot that I burned my tongue.”
2) It may mean that the food is spicy, as opposed to mild or medium; e.g., “The burritos were very hot; they must have had a lot of chili peppers in them.”

- Knock back: To drink something quickly; often used in reference to alcohol.

- Pig out/ pig out on: This is very informal English. It means to eat a huge amount of something, to overeat or to eat too much. It usually has a negative connotation; e.g., “We pigged out at the all-you-can-eat buffet last night.”

- Pick at [some food]: To take tiny bites or not really eat what is on your plate; e.g., "She only picked at the pasta; I don't think she liked it."

- Rich [food]: Full of butter, eggs, cream or oil/ fat, or full of strong but delicious flavour.

- Savoury:
1) very tasty
2) having a salty or piquant flavour instead of a sweet one; a food item that is flavoured with salt or spices, but not sugar.

- Set menu: Usually a three-course meal, in which the restaurant has chosen a starter (appetizer), main course (entrée) and a dessert for a set price. This is also sometimes called a "fixed price" or "prix fixe" menu.

- Tangy: Having a strong or sharp, but pleasant flavour (citrus or other acidic foods like vinegar, can make food tangy, but so can spices).

- Warm [something] up: To reheat food, often in the microwave.


http://www.cie.utoronto.ca/Programs/English-Communication-Program/Useful-English-Tips.htm#Transportation