Difference between 中国餐 and 中国的餐?

[Master Rakoczi]

What's the difference between 中国餐 and 中国的餐?

Here's how I understand it:

中国餐 ~ literally: China-food (like a compound)

中国的餐 ~ literally: Chinese food (as adjective attribute + noun)

Is this a correct way to interpret it? I mean that without '的' it is a compound word.

[leeyah]

中国餐 is correct, it means "Chinese food", but grammatically and lexically there's no 中国的餐, only 中餐 = Chinese food. You probably meant (the colloquial) 中国菜 = Chinese cuisine/Chinese food.

There is 中国的餐桌礼仪 = Chinese table manners & 中式餐厅 = Chinese (style) Restaurant, same as >> 中国式的饭店

[Master Rakoczi]

Yep! I think I meant 中国菜. Thanks for the correction!

So is there 中国的菜?

The reason I'm asking is because sometimes it makes no sense when to use 的 and when to drop it. And so far the only reasonable explanation I have made up is the distinction between compounds and adjectives as in:

中国菜 China-food (compound)

中国的菜 Chinese food (adj. + noun)

Is this explanation valid?

[renzhe]

The reason I'm asking is because sometimes it makes no sense when to use 的 and when to drop it.

You're right. It's dropped in the case of set expressions.

It's also commonly dropped w/ people, family members, etc.

[Guoke]

If somebody says "中国的菜” to me, I'll probably think of vegetables grown in or imported from China.

[kurii]

I thought so. I once had this conversation with a friend on consuming substantial amounts of vegetables for balanced nutrition.

I: I always eat Subway. That should do me enough good. 成天食Subway，应该够营养kwa。

She: White people's vegetables and Chinese vegetables are different. 西人菜同中国菜又吾同bor。

[xiaocai]

I: I always eat Subway. That should do me enough good. 成天食Subway，应该够营养kwa。

She: White people's vegetables and Chinese vegetables are different. 西人菜同中国菜又吾同bor。

I thought we are talking about mandarin grammar here, aren't we?