In many restaurants in Japan, you can order from a tablet at the table or use your own smartphone instead of speaking directly to a staff member.
The system can look a little surprising the first time you see it, but the basic process is usually simple. You open the menu, choose what you want, check the quantity, and send the order.
With a tablet system, a dedicated device is usually placed on the table. You select food and drinks from the screen and press a button to place your order. Many of these menus include photos, and some let you switch to English or other languages. You can usually use the same tablet when you want to order more later.
With a QR-code system, you scan a code on the table with your smartphone. This opens the ordering page for your table. You then choose your food and send the order from your phone. In many cases, you do not need to install a special app and can simply use your web browser.
One important thing to remember is that ordering by smartphone does not necessarily mean that you will also pay by smartphone.
Some restaurants still ask you to pay at the register. Others have a button on the screen to request the bill, while some allow payment at the table. It is therefore better to think of ordering and payment as two separate parts of the process.
Also, not every restaurant in Japan uses the same system. The screen layout and steps can vary from place to place, so even Japanese customers sometimes hesitate or get confused when using a system for the first time.
That means there is nothing unusual about a foreign visitor not knowing what to do. If the QR code does not work, the connection is poor, you cannot find an English menu, or you simply do not know which button to press, just call a staff member and ask for help.
There is no need to feel embarrassed about it. Staff at restaurants that use these systems are generally used to helping customers with the ordering process.
So although tablet and QR-code ordering may look unfamiliar at first, the basic idea is simple:
Sit down → open the menu → choose your food → send the order.
The exact steps may differ slightly from one restaurant to another. If anything is unclear, asking a staff member is completely normal.
