Why not just use Google Translate or Google Lens on a menu?

Travelers on food forums repeatedly report that general photo translators produce literal, sometimes nonsense dish names — the classic example is a fish dish coming back as something like “right-handed child in the form of a raccoon.” Menu Lens is built for menus: it explains the dish, lists likely ingredients, shows what it looks like, and ranks items for your diet instead of overlaying raw words.

Does it work on Japanese, Thai, Korean, and Chinese menus?

Yes. Those are the languages travelers ask about most, and they match where food-led travel search is concentrated — Agoda’s 2025 culinary-destination data put Japan first, then Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Malaysia. Photograph the printed or handwritten menu; Menu Lens detects the language and translates every item into the language you chose.

Can it help if I have allergies or eat vegan, halal, or gluten-free?

You can tap dietary filters (vegetarian, vegan, halal, kosher, gluten-free, dairy-free, and common avoids such as shellfish, pork, and peanuts-adjacent items via ingredients). Hospitality allergy-search data shows gluten, milk, peanut, and tree nut queries dominate. Always confirm allergens with the restaurant — AI can miss sauces, fryer oil, and unlisted ingredients.

Do I need to install an app?

No. Menu Lens runs in the browser on your phone or laptop. Take or upload a menu photo, or try the demo menu if you want to see a full izakaya-style result first.

How do photo calorie estimates work, and how accurate are they?

Plate scan identifies visible foods, uses your hand in the frame as a scale hint, and estimates calories and macros. Peer-reviewed reviews of image-based diet tools find food recognition is relatively strong, while portion size is the weak step (reliability in some studies around 40%). Use the estimate as a draft, confirm uncertain items, and do not treat it as lab nutrition or medical advice.

Menu Lens

Photograph any restaurant menu

Translate Japanese, Thai, Korean, Chinese, and 70+ other menus into your language. See ingredients, what each dish looks like, and what to order if you eat vegan, halal, or gluten-free.

Any menu. Your language. Your taste.

Menu photo translator

Take or upload a clear photo of the full menu. Works on printed and many handwritten cards.

Scan a plate for calories and ingredients

Photograph the dish or drink with your hand beside it for scale. We’ll identify what’s inside, estimate portion size, and estimate calories and macros.