Chinese Restaurant Menu Audit Checklist

Audit checklist

• □ Can a new diner identify the restaurant's cuisine or format within 10 seconds?
• □ Are house specialties easy to find?
• □ Are menu sections organized by diner logic rather than kitchen storage?
• □ Do unfamiliar dishes have one-line explanations?
• □ Are Chinese names and pinyin used consistently where helpful?
• □ Are pork, shellfish, wheat, soy, sesame, peanut, egg, and cooking wine signals disclosed where relevant?
• □ Are spice levels and ma-la dishes explained?
• □ Are first-order or group-order suggestions available?
• □ Are prices clear and current?
• □ Does the online menu work on a phone?
• □ Is the menu text readable by search engines and screen readers?
• □ Does the menu create unnecessary kitchen complexity?

Audit output

Menu audit output:
- Identity clarity:
- Section structure:
- Dish translation:
- Dietary labeling:
- Ordering guidance:
- Mobile usability:
- Kitchen complexity:
- Top 5 fixes:

Downloadable menu audit scorecard

category,criterion,score_0,score_1,score_2,notes
Identity,Restaurant format is clear,Not clear,Partly clear,Clear,
Identity,Regional cuisine or house focus is clear,Not clear,Partly clear,Clear,
Structure,Menu sections match how customers order,Confusing,Somewhat logical,Clear,
Structure,House specialties are easy to find,Hidden,Present but weak,Prominent,
Descriptions,Unfamiliar dishes have plain-language descriptions,No,Some,Most or all,
Descriptions,Chinese names and pinyin are used where helpful,No,Inconsistent,Consistent,
Dietary,Common allergens and pork/shellfish/wheat/soy/sesame are disclosed,No,Partial,Clear,
Dietary,Spice levels are explained,No,Partial,Clear,
Operations,Menu size fits kitchen capacity,No,Somewhat,Yes,
Online,Menu is readable on mobile,No,Somewhat,Yes,
Online,Menu is HTML text rather than image-only,No,Partial,Yes,
Online,Prices and hours appear current,No,Unclear,Yes,

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