How to Learn Japanese Phrases for Restaurants

"YUU ASAKURA: I had this student before. She was travelling to Japan, but she was very picky about her food, so she wanted to explain very specific in the restaurant. So I told her some good phrases and I want you to know that it is not difficult to ask in Japanese restaurant. Okay, start with the first one. She was vegetarian and it is rare to see a vegetarian in Japan. Honestly, we love eating fish and meat, but I am sure some restaurants they have lots of vegetarian dish. Okay, here we go. You say "watashi wa bejitarian desu." You just convert "vegetarian" by Japanese pronunciation. We say "bejitarian." Because we don't have the word "V" sound, so you substitute with "B," "bejitarian." So she used this phrase a lot. And also, she couldn't take too much spice, or she didn't like too hot, temperature-wise. So this is the phrase: "kore wa sukoshi atsui." That means hot temperature. And "karai" means "hot" like spicy hot, "desu." The reason I add "sukoshi" is--"sukoshi" means a little. So when you complain, you don't want to be too direct. If you say "kore wa atsui desu," this is hot. And it sounds a little bit too rude. So I would say, "Oh, this is a little hot for me." So that's why I used the word "sukoshi" here. So let us repeat after me. "Watashi wa bejitarian desu." Very good. So you want to make a little bit of complaint here, "Kore wa sukoshi atsui desu." Yes, that's temperature is hot. And "kore wa sukoshi karai desu," that was spicy hot."