<p>Dim Sum restaurant was a Cantonese thing, checking out was called 睇數(check the total) or 埋單 (come up with the check), and the mechanism to 睇數 is <strong>數碟</strong> (count plates)</p>
<p>Before 點心卡/食品記錄卡, the waiter would look at the table and count the plates to calculate the bill. Different plates represent different prices. Adding them all up and you'll get the total.</p>
<p>Example:</p>
<p>大點:$5 中點:$4 小點:$3</p>
<p>大點X3 + 中點X4 + 小點X2 = $15 + $16 + $6 = $37</p>
<p>We just call it &quot;counting plates&quot; (數碟)</p>
<ul>
<li><p>數碟不要數少數多或者分錯大細 - When counting plates, don't undercount or overcount, and don't misclassify plate sizes</p>
</li>
<li><p>使用點心卡之後結帳時就不用數碟  - After we used the Dim Sum card, we no longer needed to count plates at checkout (<em>now people can't hide their plates under the table to cheat</em>)</p>
</li>
</ul>
<p>I presume 迴轉壽司 (conveyor belt sushi restaurants) also used the counting plates method in a similar way</p>
<p>Side note: <em>If the table also ordered non-Dim Sum items, the waiter has to write down what they are on a piece of paper and put it in a glass on the table to be added to the total. Now they just write the non-Dim Sum items on the Dim Sum card on your table.</em></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-01-02T07:52:43.113Z
2023-01-02T08:14:52.043Z
2023-01-02T08:14:52.043Z
Tang Ho
<p>maybe “點心卡”, or formally “食品記錄卡”</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/0WJz7.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/0WJz7.jpg" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>
<p></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-01-02T12:35:58.340Z
There are restaurants which use the color of the plates to indicate different prices so that the plates are all of the same size which makes serving and table clearing easier.
Wayne Cheah
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-01-02T07:07:28.830Z
2023-01-02T07:07:28.830Z
水巷孑蠻
<p>sorry if this is the wrong forum for non-linguistic questions</p>
<p>In traditional Dim Sum restaurants (and some sushi-boat restaurants), a diner's bill (check) is calculated from the number of plates in various categories (vs. a stamp on a list). What is the term for this mechanism?</p>

<culture>
Term for cultural idiom: restaurant payment calculation based on counting plates (e.g. Dim Sum)
# Term for cultural idiom: restaurant payment calculation based on counting plates (e.g. Dim Sum)

(Asked by: username_0 on 2023-01-02)

sorry if this is the wrong forum for non-linguistic questions

In traditional Dim Sum restaurants (and some sushi-boat restaurants), a diner's bill (check) is calculated from the number of plates in various categories (vs. a stamp on a list). What is the term for this mechanism?

**Tags:** culture


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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2023-01-02. Score: 1 | Accepted answer

Dim Sum restaurant was a Cantonese thing, checking out was called 睇數(check the total) or 埋單 (come up with the check), and the mechanism to 睇數 is **數碟** (count plates)

Before 點心卡/食品記錄卡, the waiter would look at the table and count the plates to calculate the bill. Different plates represent different prices. Adding them all up and you'll get the total.

Example:

大點:$5 中點:$4 小點:$3

大點X3 + 中點X4 + 小點X2 = $15 + $16 + $6 = $37

We just call it "counting plates" (數碟)

* 數碟不要數少數多或者分錯大細 - When counting plates, don't undercount or overcount, and don't misclassify plate sizes
* 使用點心卡之後結帳時就不用數碟 - After we used the Dim Sum card, we no longer needed to count plates at checkout (*now people can't hide their plates under the table to cheat*)

I presume 迴轉壽司 (conveyor belt sushi restaurants) also used the counting plates method in a similar way

Side note: *If the table also ordered non-Dim Sum items, the waiter has to write down what they are on a piece of paper and put it in a glass on the table to be added to the total. Now they just write the non-Dim Sum items on the Dim Sum card on your table.*


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### Answer by username_2 on 2023-01-02. Score: 0

maybe “點心卡”, or formally “食品記錄卡”

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/0WJz7.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/0WJz7.jpg)

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: There are restaurants which use the color of the plates to indicate different prices so that the plates are all of the same size which makes serving and table clearing easier.  

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