# Dish Description Style Guide for Chinese Menus

## Basic formula
Dish name + Chinese name/pinyin + main ingredient + cooking method + flavor + dietary signal.

## Good description
Mapo Tofu
麻婆豆腐 · má pó dòu fu
Soft tofu in Sichuan chile-bean sauce with numbing peppercorn. Traditionally contains minced pork.

## Avoid
- “Authentic and delicious”
- “Traditional food”
- Literal translations that mislead
- Long origin stories in the menu item line
- Unexplained poetic names
- Promising allergen safety the kitchen cannot support

## Useful words
Steamed
Pan-fried
Stir-fried
Braised
Roasted
Poached
Chile oil
Numbing
Garlicky
Savory
Sweet-sour
Fermented black bean
Ginger-scallion
Bone-in
Served cold
Served with rice
Best shared

## Item-level checklist
- Is the main ingredient clear?
- Is the preparation clear?
- Is the flavor clear?
- Is the spice clear?
- Are pork, shellfish, wheat, soy, sesame, peanut, egg, and cooking wine handled when relevant?
- Does the description help the customer choose?