Warning: This Menu May Be Choking Hazard

Warning: you are going to read a menu that may pose a choking hazard. If you are eating or drinking, please stop before you click on this menu; or read it at your own risk.

I was sitting in a coffee shop yesterday afternoon, reading a book and surfing the internet. It was gloomy outside, which could be the reason I was craving for caffeine. I already had one cup of Hazelnut; as I looked out, it still looked gloomy. So I ordered another shot. This time was Cappuccino. It smelled good.

At that moment, I decided to check out a few more Chinglish phrases in the web; I became quite fond of the “Racist Park” alike after my last posting. As to lighten me up, it might work well along with the Cappuccino, I thought.

I got a lot more than I bargained for.

Linked through Languagehat.com, a bilingual menu—in Chinese and English—showed up on my laptop. At a first glance, I was expecting some amusing Chinglish again like “Government Abuse Chicken”. Then I read on.

Before I knew it, a portion of the Cappuccino—milk and espresso—was sprayed in the air, out of my mouth, and the rest was spilled over the floor, out of the cup. Someone should have warned me beforehand. Boy, the cruelty of this Chinglish menu goes well beyond “abuse” level; it’s definitely above the “torture” grade.

This was the most hilarious bilingual menu I’ve ever seen in my life.