Question
I’m visiting a friend’s family for dinner in Japan and I want to compliment their food. How do I say “This dish is delicious” in Japanese?
Japango Editor Team
この料理（りょうり）は美味（おい）しいです。
Kono ryouri wa oishii desu.
This dish is delicious.
When attending a meal at someone’s home in Japan, it’s polite to compliment the cook and appreciate the effort put into preparing the meal. “Kono ryouri wa oishii desu” literally translates to “This dish is delicious.” “Kono” means “this,” “ryouri” means “dish” or “cuisine,” and “oishii” means “delicious.”
You can replace “kono ryouri” with the specific name of the dish if you know it, such as “karee” (curry) or “sushi,” to make it more personal, saying “Karee wa oishii desu” for example. This will surely bring a smile to your host’s face and express your gratitude for their hospitality.
