Taters? A la mode? De-caf? Medium foam?
When we are abroad, there are many different foods that we can find and eat. And having a variety of foreign foods is one of the greatest things to experience when we are abroad. Ordering food, however, is not that easy, especially in an alien language at restaurant or cafe. Which item should we order first from the menu? What should we do when we do not understand the menu? When the server asks something that we do not understand, we easily become terrified and just order ordinary food that we have already eaten, even though we want to try something new. Asking the server for a recommendation would make things easier, but we worry that we won’t like his/her recommendation.
Let us assume that we are in a restaurant or cafe, and we need to look into the terms that might be difficult for us.

Situation 1

 
From the movie When Harry Met Sally
Waitress : Hi, what can I get ya?
Harry : I’ll have a number three.
Sally :  I’d like the chef salad please with the oil and vinegar on the side and the apple pie a la mode.
Waitress : Chef and apple a la mode.
Sally : But I’d like the pie heated and I don’t want the ice cream on top I want it on the side and I’d like strawberry instead of vanilla if you have it.
If not then no ice cream just whipped cream but only if it’s real. If it’s out of a can, then nothing.
Waitress : Not even the pie?
Sally : No, just the pie, but then not heated.
Waitress : Uh huh.

 
Situation 2

 
From the movie Identity Thief
Sandy : Sorry, I’m quick. The tomato soup for me, please. That’ll do it.
Diana : I’m going to take a full slab of the baby backs, and I’m going to take that with mashed taters, hushpuppies, and I’m going to have a sweet tea.

 
Then how do we order coffee? Decaf? Sweetener? Foam? What do we have to say first? Is Americano in Korea is same in America? It does seem really complicated! Ordering coffee could be one of the things that make us puzzled in other countries. Now, why don’t we prepare for ordering coffee fluently and get what we want? These are the steps you can use usefully in cafe.

 
Now let’s see how we could order coffee in real situation through drama?

Situation 3

 
From the drama : FRASIER Season 1 Ep 17 <A Mid-Winter Night’s Dream>
Waitress : Are you going to order?
Niles : Oh yes! Double decaf, non-fat latte, 
            Hmm... Medium foam, dusted with just the faintest whisper of cinnamon.
Frasier : I would have a black coffee.  


slab : (두껍고 반듯한) 조각
hushpuppy: 허시퍼피(특히 미국 남부 지방에서 먹는, 옥수수 가루로 만든 작은 튀김 과자)
baby back (rib) / pork ribs :  돼지 갈비
sweet tea : 남미에서 주로 소비되는 차가운 홍차
That’ll do : 그것으로 됐어
whipped cream : 휘핑 크림
a la mode : 아이스크림을 얹은
tater (tot): 부스러뜨린 감자를 기름에 튀긴 사이드 메뉴

Young-eun Choi
emilyc95@uos.ac.kr
 

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