Restaurant English
A Hands-On Course for Restaurant Professionals
KEY FEATURES • Original Warm-Up Activities • Practical Picture Dictionary Sections • Useful Dialogues between Waitstaff and Customers • Grammar Tips and Everyday Sentence Patterns • Engaging Conversation Exercises • Helpful Review Segments and Listening Reinforcement • Situational Restaurant Videos
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Restaurant English
A Hands-On Course for Restaurant Professionals
Table of Contents Unit
Topic
Focus
Page
Unit
Topic
Focus
Page
5
6
Taking Beverage Orders
• Getting beverage orders • Providing beverage knowledge • Pairing beverages with dishes
65
1
Looking around a Restaurant
• Showing new waitstaff around • Talking about facilities • Setting a table
2
Restaurant Staff
• Introducing oneself • Talking about restaurant jobs • Introducing job titles and duties
15
7
Taking Food Orders
• Introducing the menu • Recommending dishes • Taking orders
77
3
Calling a Restaurant
• Taking phone reservations • Handling special requests • Suggesting other restaurants
29
8
During the Meal
• Serving food • Checking on guest satisfaction • Responding to requests
89
4
Welcoming and Seating Guests
• Receiving guests with / without reservations • Greeting VIPs and repeat customers • Handling large groups, banquets, and conferences
41
9
Difficult Situations
• Food, facility, and service complaints • Power failures and earthquakes
101
5
Small Talk
• Showing concern for guests • Inquiring about sights • Asking staff about their jobs
53
10
Presenting the Bill
• Signing for the meal • Different forms of payment • Asking about tax / service charges
113
17
Unit One
Looking around a Restaurant
Usually, we can find different types of restaurants in an international hotel. These might include a Western restaurant, a Chinese restaurant, a buffet, a coffee shop, and a bar. We will learn more about their differences.
In this unit, we will focus on . . . Showing new waitstaff around a restaurant
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Introducing restaurant facilities
Setting a table
Warm-Up Activities
Where Would You Like to Eat? A. The Fontainebleau
B. Ming Gardens
C. The Riviera Café
Ô French restaurant Ô open for lunch and dinner Ô live string music in the evening
Ô Chinese restaurant Ô private dining rooms Ô lunch buffet
Ô buffet / coffee shop Ô international dishes Ô à la carte menu all day
Match the sentences with the pictures (A — E). D. Cheers Bar
E. Uncle Sam’s Grill
1. I’m in the mood for rice and stir-fried vegetables. 2. Why don’t we go somewhere where we can try different foreign dishes? 3. I feel like eating something like ribs or steak. 4. Let’s dine at a fancy restaurant. How about something European?
Ô small bar Ô drinks and snacks
Ô party trays Ô children’s menu
5. We could have dinner at that place. They have a kids’ menu. 6. Tomorrow is Dave’s birthday. Maybe we can order some takeout, like pasta and salad. 7. My wife wants to go to a place where we can listen to live music. 8. Would you like to get a beer after work? 19
U1
Looking around a Restaurant Track 1
W arm-Up
S
cene
R
eview
How to Set the Table o
q butter knife
a s
t
{`b9t0} {na6f}
w bread plate
{br5d} {plet}
e small / salad fork
y
{sml} / {`sld} frk
r dinner fork
u
{`d6n0} {f7rk}
t dessert spoon
{d6`z-t} {spun}
y dessert fork
u show plate
q w
{d6`z-t} {f7rk}
i e
d f
r
g
{]o} {plet}
i napkin
{`n1pk6n}
o water goblet
{`w7t0} {`g3bl6t}
a red wine glass
Additional Words •
butter dish {`b9t0} {d6]}
•
soup bowl {sup} {bol}
•
teaspoon {`ti~spun}
•
saucer {`s7s0}
•
tablecloth {`teby~kl7q}
salt / pepper shaker {s7lt} / {`p5p0} {`]ek0} •
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{r5d} {wa6n} {gl1s}
s white wine glass
{hwa6t} {wa6n} {gl1s}
d dinner knife
{`d6n0} {na6f}
f soup spoon
{sup} {spun}
g small / salad knife
{sml} / {`sld} f
SCENE I
Learning the Ropes
Albert Williams: Maître d’ Wanda Liu: New Waitstaff Albert shows Wanda the ropes at the Fontainebleau. Albert:
OK, Wanda, let me show you around the place.
Wanda:
Thanks, Mr. Williams. I really appreciate1 it.
Albert:
The Fontainebleau is a very large restaurant. Though it’s not as big as the Riviera Café, it’s still one of the most spacious2 Western restaurants in the city.
Wanda:
Yes, I can see that. How many people does the restaurant hold?3
Albert:
It has a seating capacity of around 80. As you can see, the coatroom is here, and the waiter’s station is on your right. 4
Wanda:
It looks like some of the tables are smaller than others.
Albert:
Yeah, the smaller ones seat two, and the larger ones seat four.
Wanda:
I noticed that the smaller tables are next to the windows and in corners, but the larger tables are grouped in the middle.
Albert:
That’s very observant of you! We like to give couples the choice of either privacy6 or a romantic view of the city. Quite a few• marriage proposals7 have been made here.
Wanda:
Cool. Is that a small stage over there?
Albert:
Yes, we provide music in the evening, mostly string music.
Wanda:
5
I think I’m going to really enjoy working here!
Word Bank 1. appreciate {4`pri]i~et} v. 2. spacious {`spe]4s} adj. 3. hold {hold} v. 4. capacity {k4`p1s4t6} n. 5. observant {4b`z-v4nt} adj. 6. privacy {`pra6v4s6} n. (private adj.) 7. marriage proposal {`m1r6d.} {pr4`pozy} n.
Restaurant Specific maître
d’ {~metr4`di} n.
waitstaff
{`wet~st1f} n. coatroom {`kot~rum} n. (cloakroom) waiter’s
station {`wet0z} {`ste]4n} n.
Phrases • learn the ropes • quite a few 21