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.
The warm-up pack
The lines that actually get said in a kitchen and at the table — not an ingredient list.
01 · The tool with no translation
¿Lo ponemos al comal?
Should we put it on the comal? (the flat griddle Mexican kitchens use instead of a frying pan)
Comal doesn't have an English word — say it as-is and any Mexican cook knows exactly what you mean.
02 · The ritual before the recipe starts
Primero hacemos el sofrito.
First we make the sofrito. (the onion-pepper-garlic base under half of Caribbean cooking)
Every dish in the Caribbean starts here. Say this and you sound like you know the recipe before you've even opened it.
03 · The blender by its real name
Pásalo por la licuadora.
Run it through the blender.
Batidora is what the textbook teaches — licuadora is what gets said in a Mexican kitchen. Same machine, different door in.
04 · Hand off the stirring, formally
Revuélvelo bien.
Mix it well.
The direct command — hand this to whoever's at the stove and they'll know exactly what to do.
05 · Same instruction, Argentina
Mezclá bien.
Mix it well. (Argentina — voseo instead of tú)
The verb bends differently but the instruction is identical. Recognizing this shift saves you a confused pause in Buenos Aires.
06 · One verb, two very different plans
Voy a picar algo.
I'm going to grab a bite. (picar also means "to chop" — context tells you which)
The same word chops an onion and orders a snack. Don't panic when you hear it twice in one sentence — it's not a mistake.
07 · Ask before the first bite
¿Pica mucho?
Is it very spicy?
Three words, and you know what you're in for. This is what's actually asked at the table.
08 · The compliment that beats "delicioso"
Tiene buen sazón.
It's well-seasoned. (literally: it has good sazón — a cook's personal touch)
This praises the cook, not just the food. Say it to someone's abuela and watch her face change.
09 · Same steak, different word depending where you are
Término rojo. Poco hecho.
Rare. (Mexico: término rojo) — Rare. (Spain: poco hecho)
Order it the Mexican way in Madrid and the waiter will pause. Two words for the same steak, and it matters which one you use.
10 · Stack every change in one line
Con extra queso. Sin cebolla. Poco sal.
With extra cheese. No onion. Light on the salt.
Con and sin do all the work here — chain as many as you need and the kitchen adjusts every time, no drama.
11 · Close the meal like a regular
¿Me trae la cuenta, por favor?
Could you bring me the check, please?
This is how a meal ends anywhere Spanish is spoken. Say it, and you're in control of leaving, not waiting to be noticed.
FLUENT
Finally, someone to talk to in Spanish.
Ten-minute spoken lessons. A teacher who answers back — and gently fixes what you got wrong.
First 10 lessons freeandbefluent.com/spanish/hells-kitchenRegional 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.
