Very Chinese Time

Eating

How to eat at a night market in China

Updated

At a Chinese night market, you walk the stalls, order a little at several of them, pay each one by phone, and eat at any shared table with space. Three phrases do most of the work: 辣là吗ma (is it spicy), your order number, and 我wǒ可ké以yǐ坐zuò这zhè里lǐ吗ma (can I sit here). This page goes through an evening step by step.

Wishlist on Steam Go to the steps

What is a night market like?

A night market, a 夜yè市shì (night market), is a street or square that fills with food stalls in the evening. Some are food streets where small restaurants put tables on the pavement. Others are rows of carts. They are busy, loud and bright. People go with friends to eat a bit of everything.

The food depends on the city. Common dishes are skewers of meat, fish balls or vegetables, grilled fish, spicy crayfish, wontons in soup, and sweet soups for dessert. There is often 臭chòu豆dòu腐fu (stinky tofu): fried fermented tofu with a very strong smell. Skewers are priced per skewer, usually on a sign at the stall.

Seating is shared. Stalls put out plastic tables and stools. When it is busy, you sit wherever there is space, often next to strangers.

Step by step

One evening, in order. The lines come from the night market in the game.

  1. Walk the stalls first

    Stall holders call out what they sell and the price. Walk the whole street first, then go back to what looked best. A polite no is enough when you are not interested.

    • You will hear 羊肉串！五块一串。 (yáng ròu chuàn! wǔ kuài yí chuàn.) Lamb skewers! Five yuan a skewer. (串chuàn (skewer) is also the counting word for skewers.)
    • You will hear 臭豆腐，要不要？ (chòu dòu fu, yào bu yào?) Stinky tofu, want some or not?
    • You will hear 糖水！芒果的，红豆的。 (táng shuǐ! máng guǒ de, hóng dòu de.) Sweet soup! Mango, red bean. (A sweet soup, eaten as dessert.)
    • 不用了，谢谢 (bú yòng le, xiè xie) No need, thanks

      Say it when a stall holder calls you over and you are not interested.

  2. Ask if it’s spicy

    Many dishes are spicy, some very spicy. Ask before you order. If you do not want chili, ask for one without it.

    • You will hear 干锅牛蛙！很辣。 (gān guō niú wā! hěn là.) Dry-pot bullfrog! Very spicy.
    • 辣吗？ (là ma?) Is it spicy?

      Ask it to find out if a dish is spicy.

      They may say 有点辣。 (yóu diǎn là.) A little spicy.
    • 有不辣的吗？ (yǒu bú là de ma?) Do you have a non-spicy one?

      Ask it for a dish with no chili.

  3. Order, and wait for your number

    At busy stalls, you order, pay and get a number. When the food is ready, they call the number and you collect it.

    • You will hear 大碗小碗？ (dà wǎn xiáo wǎn?) Big bowl or small bowl?
    • You will hear 三号，叫到你来拿。 (sān hào, jiào dào nǐ lái ná.) Number three. When we call it, come and get it.
    • You will hear 三号！ (sān hào!) Number three! (Your number. Your food is ready.)
    • 三碗馄饨。 (sān wǎn hún tun.) Three bowls of wontons.

      Say it to order for a group: “three bowls of wontons”. The number, then 碗wǎn (bowl), then the food.

  4. Pay at the stall

    Each stall has its own QR code. The stall holder says the price and points at it.

    • You will hear 十二块。 (shí èr kuài.) Twelve yuan.
    • You will hear 扫这里。 (sǎo zhè lǐ.) Scan here.
    • 扫码付款 (sáo mǎ fù kuǎn) Scan the code to pay

      Say it to pay by scanning the code.

  5. Find a seat

    Look for a table with free stools. If people are already there, ask before you sit. Some seats may be kept for friends still in a queue.

    • 有位子吗？ (yǒu wèi zi ma?) Is there a seat?

      Ask it at a restaurant or stall to see if there are seats.

      They may say 有！几个人？ (yǒu! jǐ ge rén?) Yes! How many people?
    • 我可以坐这里吗？ (wǒ ké yǐ zuò zhè lǐ ma?) Can I sit here?

      Ask it at a shared table to see if you can sit there.

      They may say 不好意思，这里有人了。 (bù hǎo yì si, zhè lǐ yǒu rén le.) Sorry, this one's taken. (Try the next table.)

  6. Talk to the people at your table

    Sharing a table often turns into a chat, especially with a foreign visitor. People ask where you are from, if you like the food, if you eat spicy food. They may invite you to drink with them.

    • You will hear 第一次来夜市？ (dì yī cì lái yè shì?) First time at a night market?
    • You will hear 你喜欢吃辣吗？ (nǐ xǐ huan chī là ma?) Do you like eating spicy food?
    • You will hear 来，跟我们喝点啤酒吧！ (lái, gēn wǒ men hē diǎn pí jiǔ ba!) Come, have some beer with us!
    • 干杯！ (gān bēi!) Cheers!

      Say it when glasses go up.

The pinyin shows how the words are really said, as in the game.

Practical tips

  • Go hungry, order small

    Order one skewer or a small bowl at each stall, and share. That way you try many things.

  • Check prices sold by weight

    Seafood like crayfish is often priced per 斤jīn (jin), which is half a kilo, not per plate. Ask the price and the weight before it is cooked.

  • Bring tissues or wet wipes

    Skewers and crayfish are messy, and tables do not always have napkins.

  • Keep your phone charged

    You pay each stall separately, usually by phone. A dead battery ends the evening. Carry some cash as a backup.

  • Ask about spice every time

    The same dish can be mild at one stall and very hot at the next.

Where to practise it in the game

In Very Chinese Time in My Life, the night market is the third evening. An older man and his daughter treat you to a late meal.

  • Walking the stalls

    Stall holders call out lamb skewers, crayfish, stinky tofu, grilled fish, bullfrog and sweet soups. Some dishes are too spicy, one queue is twenty minutes long, and the grandfather keeps wandering off. You ask other stall holders if they have seen him.

  • Wontons and a number

    You order three bowls of wontons, choose big or small, get number three and listen for it.

  • A shared table

    At a fried-skewer stall, you ask 有yǒu位wèi子zi吗ma (is there a seat) and 我wǒ可ké以yǐ坐zuò这zhè里lǐ吗ma (can I sit here). You share a table with two young women. They ask about you, toast with you and add you on WeChat before the rain starts.

Questions

What is a night market in China?

A street or square full of food stalls that opens in the evening, a 夜yè市shì (night market). People go with friends to try skewers, grilled fish, crayfish, wontons, sweet soups and other snacks, and eat at shared tables.

How do I ask if food is spicy in Chinese?

Ask 辣là吗ma (is it spicy). To ask for something without chili, say 有yǒu不bú辣là的de吗ma (do you have a non-spicy one).

How do order numbers work at a Chinese night market?

At busy stalls, you order, pay and get a number. When your food is ready, the stall holder calls it out, for example 三sān号hào (number three), and you go and collect it.

Can I sit at any table at a night market in China?

Yes, tables are usually shared. But ask first if people are already there: 我wǒ可ké以yǐ坐zuò这zhè里lǐ吗ma (can I sit here). If a seat is kept, you will hear 这zhè里lǐ有yǒu人rén了le (someone is sitting here).

How do I pay at a night market in China?

You pay each stall separately, usually by scanning its QR code with Alipay or WeChat Pay. Many stalls also take cash.

What is stinky tofu?

臭chòu豆dòu腐fu (stinky tofu) is fermented tofu, usually deep-fried and served with sauce and chili. Night markets all over China sell it. It has a very strong smell.