Hells Kitchen
Order meat exactly how you like it — and say why it's good, out loud.
The doneness words change by country, and mixing them up is the fastest way to sound like a textbook. Spain says poco hecho, al punto, bien hecho — but poco hecho is pure Spain. In Mexico order término rojo (rare), término medio (medium) or bien cocido; in Argentina it's jugoso, a punto, bien cocido. For changes, be explicit with sin and con — sin cebolla, con extra queso — instead of hoping the waiter guesses.
Below: the flavor words, the cooking verbs behind the menu, the full doneness table by country — learned with no flashcards and no drills, just you ordering out loud.
Say this
Regional Spanish
Textbooks teach one word. Locals use several — pick your region's and stay consistent.
| English | Spain | Mexico | Argentina |
|---|---|---|---|
| rare | poco hecho | término rojo | jugoso |
| medium | al punto | término medio | a punto |
| well done | bien hecho | bien cocido | bien cocido |
Watch out
The part no drill site can do
Olivia
Your vocabulary teacher for this pack
There's nothing to memorize first and no flashcards — in the Hells Kitchen lessons you cook and order by talking, and Olivia talks back. She seats you at a nice restaurant: you order the steak the way you actually want it — término medio, sin cebolla — check the heat before committing (¿pica mucho?), and explain a dietary restriction with sin gluten. When the food lands, you don't settle for "bueno": you say riquísimo like you mean it, out loud.
Blank mid-sentence and nothing bad happens — she waits. That's the practice, without unnecessary judgement.
Finish the 6 lessons and Hells Kitchen is yours — earned, not given.
First 10 lessons free · 10-minute spoken lessons · your AI coaching team remembers you
Quick answers
Depends where you are. Spain: poco hecho / al punto / bien hecho. Mexico: término rojo / término medio / bien cocido. Argentina: jugoso / a punto / bien cocido.
¿Me trae la cuenta, por favor? works across Latin America — it's the universal "check, please."
In Mexico the verb does the work: ¿pica mucho? — does it bite? — rather than es picante. If something is seriously chili-hot, Mexicans call it enchiloso, a step above picante.
Para llevar — to go; aquí — for here. In Mexico the cashier always asks, so have your answer ready. In Argentina, request substitutions with voseo: ¿me lo podés traer sin…?
Skip delicioso — for genuine praise locals reach for riquísimo or sabrosísimo. In Argentina ¡qué rico! covers everything good; in the Caribbean it's eso está sabrosísimo, mi pana.
