Reading a Japanese Menu: Appetizers, Main Courses, Desserts and Drinks
Learn the Japanese words for appetizers, main dishes, desserts and drinks, and how a typical Japanese menu is organized from start to finish.
By MarcusFood & cafés · Yapr Learn
When you open a menu in Japan, the food is usually grouped by course rather than listed randomly. If you can recognize four section words, you can find what you want without reading every dish name. This lesson teaches the labels for appetizers, main courses, desserts and drinks, plus the polite phrases you need to ask where each section is. You will also learn how set-course menus are ordered, because that structure often decides what appears on your table.
By the end, you can…
- recognize the Japanese words for appetizer, main course, dessert and drink on a menu.
- ask a staff member which section of the menu a dish belongs to.
- describe the order of courses in a typical Japanese meal.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
前菜
appetizer; starter
zen-sai (zen like 'zen'; sai like 'sigh')
The standard menu heading for small dishes served before the main food. On casual menus you may also see おつまみ (otsumami), which means snacks to go with drinks.
メイン料理
main course; main dish
me-in ryō-ri (meh-een ryoh-ree; the two vowels in mei are separate)
Often shortened to メイン (mein) on menus. It labels the largest or central dish of the meal.
デザート
dessert
de-zā-to (deh-zah-toh; the ā is held long)
A loanword written in katakana. Menus may also use 甘味 (kanmi), a more formal word for sweets.
飲み物
drinks; beverages
no-mi-mo-no (noh-mee-moh-noh)
The general heading for the drink list. Alcoholic drinks are often separated under お酒 (osake).
これはどの料理ですか。
Which course is this dish?
ko-re wa do-no ryō-ri desu ka
A polite way to ask a staff member where a dish belongs when the menu layout is unclear.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
Menu sections often appear as noun labels, so you can read them without a full sentence. The pattern is simply the section word plus the dishes under it: 前菜 (zensai) lists starters, メイン料理 (mein ryōri) lists main dishes, デザート (dezāto) lists sweets, and 飲み物 (nomimono) lists drinks. To ask about one item, use これは何ですか (kore wa nan desu ka, 'what is this?') or これはどの料理ですか (kore wa dono ryōri desu ka, 'which course is this dish?').
When to use it
Use these labels when you scan a menu from top to bottom. In a set course, called コース (kōsu), the order is usually 前菜, then a main dish, then デザート, with 飲み物 ordered separately. If you only want a light meal, look under 前菜 rather than メイン料理. When you cannot find a section, ask デザートはどこですか (dezāto wa doko desu ka, 'where is the dessert section?').
Reading the menu layout
Japanese menus often put pictures next to section headings, so the label and image work together. A dish may also appear under two headings, for example a small salad under 前菜 and a larger one under メイン料理. Check the heading, not just the picture, to judge portion size and course order.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
すみません、デザートはどこですか。
Excuse me, where is the dessert section?su-mi-ma-sen, de-zā-to wa do-ko desu kaデザートはメニューの最後です。飲み物の前です。
Dessert is at the end of the menu. It is before the drinks.de-zā-to wa me-nyū no sa-i-go desu. no-mi-mo-no no ma-e desuこの小さい料理は前菜ですか、メイン料理ですか。
Is this small dish an appetizer or a main course?ko-no chii-sa-i ryō-ri wa zen-sai desu ka, me-in ryō-ri desu kaそれは前菜です。メイン料理はこちらです。
That is an appetizer. The main courses are over here.so-re wa zen-sai desu. me-in ryō-ri wa ko-chi-ra desuA little context goes a long way
In many Japanese restaurants, a set course fixes the order of dishes, so you may not choose each course freely. Staff also use polite forms such as こちら (kochira, 'this way') instead of これ when pointing at a menu section. If you are unsure, asking これはどの料理ですか is perfectly polite and common.
One thing to watch for
Assuming 前菜 means the same as a Western appetizer in size and timing.
Try this instead: 前菜 is the menu label for small dishes served before the main food, but in a Japanese set course it may arrive with other small dishes at the same time. Check the course name, for example 前菜盛り合わせ (zensai moriawase, 'appetizer assortment'), to see what is included.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1Which Japanese word would you look for to find the drink list?
Show a sample answer
飲み物 (nomimono)
飲み物 is the general heading for drinks. Some menus also separate お酒 (osake) for alcoholic drinks, so either label can lead you to the drink section.
2How do you ask a staff member which course a dish belongs to?
Show a sample answer
これはどの料理ですか。 (kore wa dono ryōri desu ka)
This politely asks which course the dish is. You could also ask これは前菜ですか (kore wa zensai desu ka, 'is this an appetizer?') if you want a yes-or-no answer.
3In a typical set course, which section usually comes last before drinks?
Show a sample answer
デザート (dezāto)
Dessert normally comes at the end of the food courses, with drinks ordered separately. Menus often place デザート just before 飲み物.
Learn the four section words 前菜, メイン料理, デザート and 飲み物, and you can navigate most Japanese menus by course order rather than by individual dish names.
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