Vanessa teaches four polite ways to order food in a restaurant: “I’d like,” “I’m going to have” or “I’ll have,” “I’ll take,” and the bonus expression “I’m going to go with.” The examples use common menu items such as cheesecake, a hamburger, salad, pasta, fries, and sushi. Her focus is practical spoken English: learners can choose a phrase that feels natural, speak clearly, and use a polite tone.
“I’d like” is a standard, courteous way to state what you want: “I’d like the cheesecake, please.” Vanessa reassures learners that this expression, although often taught in elementary classes, is genuinely used. “I’m going to have” and its shorter form “I’ll have” are also polite choices. When ordering from a menu, speakers often use “the” before an item: “I’ll have the hamburger.” You can add details about how it is served, as in “the chocolate ice cream covered in sprinkles with whipped cream on top.”
The verb “take” can also introduce an order: “I’ll take the French fries” or “I’ll take the salad.” Although the restaurant brings the food to you, take is a natural way to choose an item. “I’ll take” can sometimes replace “I’ll have.” Vanessa’s bonus phrase is “I’m going to go with,” which means that this is your choice: “I’m going to go with the grilled chicken.” It is a little more casual, but still polite and appropriate in many restaurants.
To practise, imagine you are ordering at a restaurant. Choose one phrase, name your dish, and add a polite detail or “please.” You can also practise by writing an order in the comments and repeating it aloud. Repetition helps make these sentence patterns easier to use in a real interaction. Vanessa encourages learners to keep their order simple and courteous; the phrases are flexible alternatives, not a strict ranking from most to least polite.