# So I found this browsing a Chinese restaurant menu **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 2, 2022, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-i-found-this-browsing-a-chinese-restaurant-menu/957060 "2022-01-02T02:05:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![psychobunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/54ee81/32.png) [@psychobunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychobunny)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2022, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-i-found-this-browsing-a-chinese-restaurant-menu/957060/1 "2022-01-02T02:05:49Z")
[https://i.imgur.com/BtStjRg.png](https://i.imgur.com/BtStjRg.png) My question is what do you get for a dollar? ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2022, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-i-found-this-browsing-a-chinese-restaurant-menu/957060/2 "2022-01-02T02:08:56Z")
[![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/_dGh7p1tZmk/maxresdefault.jpg "I'd buy that for a dollar!") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_dGh7p1tZmk) ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2022, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-i-found-this-browsing-a-chinese-restaurant-menu/957060/3 "2022-01-02T02:35:12Z")
Does not come as white rice? Lol. I’m not sure what they’re trying to say. ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2022, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-i-found-this-browsing-a-chinese-restaurant-menu/957060/4 "2022-01-02T02:41:17Z")
My best guess is that they were trying to say that the _entrees_ don’t come with rice, and if you want rice you will need to order it separately, by ordering the item pictured in the OP. ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2022, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-i-found-this-browsing-a-chinese-restaurant-menu/957060/5 "2022-01-02T03:02:51Z")
I’m sure that’s exactly what they are trying to say - are people forgetting that people who are writing ethnic restaurant menus aren’t always the best writers or speakers of English? Sure, it would be better if they put something at the top of the list of entrees saying you have to order rice separately. ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2022, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-i-found-this-browsing-a-chinese-restaurant-menu/957060/6 "2022-01-02T03:33:53Z")
I think it means that entrees come with rice on the side, but if you just order rice, you won’t get an additional side of rice. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2022, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-i-found-this-browsing-a-chinese-restaurant-menu/957060/7 "2022-01-02T03:44:48Z")
> [@doreen](#): > > are people forgetting that people who are writing ethnic restaurant menus aren’t always the best writers or speakers of English? I don’t think anyone is forgetting that. That’s why we’re speculating what they’re trying to say. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2022, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-i-found-this-browsing-a-chinese-restaurant-menu/957060/8 "2022-01-02T04:04:23Z")
They also mis-spelled “seperately” [sic]. ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2022, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-i-found-this-browsing-a-chinese-restaurant-menu/957060/9 "2022-01-02T04:12:11Z")
What else could it mean other than either 1 ) entrees don’t come with a side of rice so you have to order rice separately or 2) If you order a side of rice ,you don’t get any rice or 3) You can order a side of rice but it doesn’t come with an additional side of rice Only one of those choices makes sense -are people seriously confused about which is meant? ---
**Author:** ![psychobunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/54ee81/32.png) [@psychobunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychobunny)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2022, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-i-found-this-browsing-a-chinese-restaurant-menu/957060/10 "2022-01-02T04:20:27Z")
Actually, the entrees do not come with rice and this message is attached to each item. They clearly just cut and pasted the message to all menu items without realizing that it now states that the rice does not come with rice and rice needs to be ordered separately. I am sure that they simply did not realize their error. I still find it amusing. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2022, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-i-found-this-browsing-a-chinese-restaurant-menu/957060/11 "2022-01-02T04:27:45Z")
> [@doreen](#): > > What else could it mean other than either > > 1 ) entrees don’t come with a side of rice so you have to order rice separately > or > 2) If you order a side of rice ,you don’t get any rice > or > 3) You can order a side of rice but it doesn’t come with an additional side of rice > > Only one of those choices makes sense -are people seriously confused about which is meant? I’d argue both 1 and 3 make equal sense. It could be the rice listed in the entree menu, with a note (for pedants) that the rice doesn’t come with (extra) rice. Or it could be anouncing that all items don’t come with rice and selling a side of rice all in one entry. I actually would have assumed the latter, but it seems to be the former. Neither is how I’m used to that sort of thing being listed. Normally I’d expect whether the items come with rice or not to be listed right below the heading for that type of food or at the bottom of the page. And then I’d expect rice to be listed in under separate “Side dishes” heading. Only the latter might show a picture of rice, but it would not say anything about rice not being included. ---
**Author:** ![Didi44](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47c2d/32.png) [@Didi44](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Didi44)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2022, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-i-found-this-browsing-a-chinese-restaurant-menu/957060/12 "2022-01-02T04:28:49Z")
Google translate: _All dishes do not send rice_. _No rice is given for all dishes_ _Meals should be ordered separately_ For those goofing on the spelling and grammar, try and translate English to Chinese. I almost guarantee it would be nonsense to a Chinese reader. . ---
**Author:** ![psychobunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/54ee81/32.png) [@psychobunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychobunny)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2022, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-i-found-this-browsing-a-chinese-restaurant-menu/957060/13 "2022-01-02T04:38:01Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > Neither is how I’m used to that sort of thing being listed. Normally I’d expect whether the items come with rice or not to be listed right below the heading for that type of food or at the bottom of the page. And then I’d expect rice to be listed in under separate “Side dishes” heading. This is how it is listed on the menu except the note about rice not being included is listed with each entree. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2022, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-i-found-this-browsing-a-chinese-restaurant-menu/957060/14 "2022-01-02T04:43:11Z")
What if every order of rice _did_ come with rice? Wouldn’t that lead to an infinite supply of rice with every order? And all for the the one initial dollar? I think they are just making sure to preclude that from happening. (ETA: Unless every side order of rice comes in a quantity geometrically smaller than the parent order, in which case the total rice converges to some finite amount. But still, they probably don’t want that to happen.) ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2022, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-i-found-this-browsing-a-chinese-restaurant-menu/957060/15 "2022-01-02T04:58:27Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > (ETA: Unless every side order of rice comes in a quantity geometrically smaller than the parent order, in which case the total rice converges to some finite amount. But still, they probably don’t want that to happen.) - Zeno’s Rice. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2022, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-i-found-this-browsing-a-chinese-restaurant-menu/957060/16 "2022-01-02T05:00:11Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > Zeno’s Rice. Rice dishes, of course, are quantized, so this can only be carried out to a limited resolution. ---
**Author:** ![Shalmanese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2022, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-i-found-this-browsing-a-chinese-restaurant-menu/957060/17 "2022-01-02T06:53:54Z")
The Chinese says “All dishes do not come with included rice” on the first line and “All dishes do not come with included rice, you must order rice separately” on the 2nd. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2022, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-i-found-this-browsing-a-chinese-restaurant-menu/957060/18 "2022-01-02T13:43:21Z")
But when does it stop being a heap? ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2022, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-i-found-this-browsing-a-chinese-restaurant-menu/957060/19 "2022-01-02T15:15:49Z")
> [@Manduck](#): > > I think it means that entrees come with rice on the side, but if you just order rice, you won’t get an additional side of rice Yes, this. I sometimes feel lazy and I’ll buy a side order of white rice from my local Chinese restaurant for making rice pudding, fried rice, etc. All their entrees come with rice, except for their rice. They’re always reluctant to charge me for rice. When I insist on paying, they give me 2X or 3X what they should. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2022, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-i-found-this-browsing-a-chinese-restaurant-menu/957060/20 "2022-01-02T18:25:27Z")
A group of us went out to eat, including a brokeass, smartass college kid. (Worked with her dad, watched her grow up, but he wasn’t there for whatever reason). She ordered a “with cheese” We all looked at her funny. You know: Hamburger…$9.95 with cheese…50¢ That was all she could afford. Yes, we covered her meal, reluctantly on her part [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-i-found-this-browsing-a-chinese-restaurant-menu/957060.md?page=2)