Bisaya Phrases for Ordering Food: Restaurant and Carinderia Guide

Introduction: Eating Your Way Through the Visayas

Food is at the heart of Filipino culture, and knowing how to order food in Bisaya transforms a simple meal into a genuine cultural experience. From fancy restaurants to humble carinderias (local eateries), these phrases will help you navigate menus, make requests, and connect with locals over delicious Cebuano cuisine.

Whether you're craving lechon in Cebu or pochero in Davao, this guide has you covered!

Basic Restaurant Phrases

Getting Seated and Ordering

Naa ba'y bakante nga lamesa? (nah-AH buy bah-KAHN-teh ngah lah-MEH-sah)

Is there an available table?

Pila ka tawo mo? - How many people?

Duha ra mi. - Just two of us.

Pwede ko makita ang menu? (PWEH-deh koh mah-KEE-tah ahng meh-NOO)

Can I see the menu?

Pwede na ko mo-order? (PWEH-deh nah koh moh-OR-der)

Can I order now?

Ready na mo mag-order? - Ready to order?

Unsa ang specialty ninyo? - What's your specialty?

Unsa ang recommend nimo? - What do you recommend?

Placing Your Order

Gusto ko ug... (GOOS-toh koh oog) - I want...

Mo-order ko ug... (moh-OR-der koh oog) - I'll order...

Usa ka order sa... - One order of...

Duha ka serving sa... - Two servings of...

Extra rice, palihog. - Extra rice, please.

Unli rice ba ni? - Is this unlimited rice?

Specifying How You Want It

Dili kaayo lami (DEE-lee kah-AH-yo LAH-mee) - Not too spicy

Walay MSG, palihog. - No MSG, please.

Luto-a og maayo. - Cook it well done.

Hilaw pa gamay. - A bit raw/medium.

Pwede walay sibuyas? - Can it be without onions?

Separado ang sabaw. - Separate the soup.

Dietary Restrictions and Allergies

Common Dietary Phrases

Dili ko mokaon ug baboy. (DEE-lee koh moh-KAH-on oog BAH-boy)

I don't eat pork.

Dili ko mokaon ug karne. - I don't eat meat.

Vegetarian ko. - I'm vegetarian.

Allergic ko sa hipon. (ah-LER-jik koh sah HEE-pon)

I'm allergic to shrimp.

Allergic ko sa mani. - I'm allergic to peanuts.

Naa bay seafood ani? - Does this have seafood?

Naa bay baboy ani? - Does this have pork?

Halal ba ni? - Is this halal?

Asking About Ingredients

Unsa ang sulod ani? - What's in this?

Naa bay sibuyas ani? - Does this have onions?

Naa bay bawang? - Does it have garlic?

Drinks and Beverages

Ordering Drinks

Unsa imong imnon? - What's your drink?

Tubig lang, palihog. - Just water, please.

Ice water, palihog. - Ice water, please.

Usa ka baso sa Coke. - One glass of Coke.

Usa ka pitcher sa iced tea. - One pitcher of iced tea.

Naa ba'y fresh juice? - Do you have fresh juice?

Beer, palihog. - Beer, please.

Kape, palihog. - Coffee, please.

Init o bugnaw? - Hot or cold?

Temperature Preferences

Init, palihog. - Hot, please.

Bugnaw, palihog. - Cold, please.

Daghan ice. - Lots of ice.

Gamay ra ice. - Just a little ice.

Walay ice. - No ice.

During the Meal

Requesting Items

Pwede mangayo ug... (PWEH-deh mahng-AH-yoh oog) - Can I request...

Kutsara ug tinidor, palihog. - Spoon and fork, please.

Tissue, palihog. - Tissue, please.

Toyo, palihog. - Soy sauce, please.

Suka, palihog. - Vinegar, please.

Calamansi, palihog. - Calamansi (lime), please.

Chili, palihog. - Chili, please.

Dugang kan-on, palihog. - More rice, please.

Asking Questions

Dugay pa ba? (doo-GUY pah bah) - Will it take long?

Andam na ba ang order namo? - Is our order ready?

Sakto ba ang order? - Is the order correct?

Complimenting the Food

Lami kaayo! (lah-MEE kah-AH-yo) - Very delicious!

Grabe ka lami! - So delicious!

Nindot ang luto. - Nicely cooked.

Full na ko! - I'm full!

Busog na ko. - I'm satisfied/full.

Paying the Bill

Asking for the Bill

Bill, palihog. - Bill, please.

Pwede na ang bill? - Can I have the bill?

Pila tanan? - How much total?

Pila ang kwenta? - What's the total?

Payment Methods

Cash ko mobayad. - I'll pay cash.

Pwede ba GCash? - Can I use GCash?

Naa ba'y card? - Do you accept cards?

Naay discount sa senior/PWD? - Is there a senior/PWD discount?

Finishing Up

Sukli, palihog. - Change, please.

Sakto na. - Keep the change.

Salamat sa service! - Thanks for the service!

Balik mi! - We'll come back!

Carinderia (Local Eatery) Phrases

Carinderias are casual eateries with pre-cooked dishes displayed in a glass case. Here's how to order:

Pointing and Ordering

Unsa na'y sud-an? - What dishes do you have?

Pila ni nga sud-an? - How much is this dish?

Tagaan ko ana. (pointing) - Give me that.

Isa ana, palihog. - One of that, please.

Gamay ra. - Just a little.

Daghan gamay. - A bit more.

Common Carinderia Items

Adobo - Meat stewed in vinegar and soy sauce

Tinola - Chicken soup with ginger

Sinigang - Sour soup

Lechon kawali - Crispy fried pork

Torta - Omelette

Gulay - Vegetables

Isda - Fish

Manok - Chicken

Baboy - Pork

Street Food Phrases

Common Street Food Orders

Pila ang isaw? - How much is the isaw (grilled intestine)?

Tulo ka stick. - Three sticks.

Daghan suka. - Lots of vinegar.

Pwede pa-init? - Can you heat it up?

To-go lang. - Just to go.

Diri ra ko kaon. - I'll eat here.

Popular Street Foods

Isaw - Grilled chicken/pork intestines

Betamax - Grilled blood cubes

Kwek-kwek - Fried quail eggs

Fishball - Fried fish balls

Proben - Proven (fried chicken parts)

Lumpia - Spring rolls

BBQ - Grilled meat on sticks

Special Requests

Takeout and Packaging

Pa-take out lang. - For takeout.

Pwede i-pack? - Can you pack it?

Separate ang sabaw. - Separate the soup.

Ibutang sa styro. - Put it in styrofoam.

Daghan plastic spoon. - More plastic spoons.

Portion Sizes

Dako - Large

Medium - Medium

Gamay - Small

Half order - Half order

Solo - For one person

Pang-share - For sharing

Sample Restaurant Conversation

Waiter: Good evening, ma'am/sir. Pila ka tawo mo?

You: Tulo mi.

Waiter: Sige, diri mo lingkod. Ari ang menu.

[After looking at menu]

You: Pwede na ko mo-order?

Waiter: Yes, ma'am/sir. Unsa imong order?

You: Mo-order ko ug lechon kawali, sinigang na baboy, ug tulo ka rice.

Waiter: Unsa imong drinks?

You: Usa ka pitcher sa iced tea, ug usa ka tubig.

Waiter: Sige, ma'am/sir. Wait lang.

[After eating]

You: Bill, palihog.

Waiter: Traynta singko ang total, ma'am/sir.

You: GCash pwede?

Waiter: Yes, ma'am/sir.

You: Salamat! Lami kaayo ang pagkaon!

Waiter: Salamat! Balik mo ha!

Conclusion

Knowing how to order food in Bisaya adds flavor to your dining experience in the Visayas and Mindanao. From street-side fishball to upscale lechon restaurants, these phrases will help you navigate any food situation.

The best part? Locals genuinely appreciate when foreigners try to speak Bisaya. Don't be surprised if your attempts at ordering earn you extra servings or a bigger smile!

Kaon ta! (Let's eat!)

Explore more Bisaya phrases for every situation at TalkBisaya.com. From greetings to grammar, we've got your Cebuano learning journey covered!