My German buddy Felix is very particular about beer. In Germany, you order ein Bier and you get ein Bier. One glass. Perfectly poured. Exactly 500ml.
Last week I took him to a Sichuan restaurant in Chengdu. He looked at the menu and saw 啤酒 (píjiǔ — beer).
He points at it and says "One."
The waitress nods. Walks away.
Five minutes later, she returns with an entire crate of 12 bottles. Places it next to our table. Opens one. Pours it. Leaves the other 11 standing there.
Felix looks at me. I look at him.
"I said one," he whispers.
"You pointed at 啤酒 on the menu," I explain. "They don't sell 'one glass' here. You buy the bottles."
What happened next:
Felix, being German and honorable, felt obligated to finish what he ordered. We were there for four hours. He drank six beers. I drank two. We gave the remaining four to the table next to us — a group of local guys who thought this was hilarious and immediately started toasting with us.
By the end of the night, Felix had made four new Chinese friends, learned how to say "干杯" (gānbēi — cheers), and had a contact in his WeChat named "Chengdu Beer Brother."
Kurokun's takeaway: In China, portion sizes and serving styles don't always translate. When in doubt, ask "How many?" (多少个？) before you point.
Also: German beer discipline does not prepare you for Sichuan hospitality.
Posted on 2026-5-23 07:54:29