food

Cai png, also called economy rice, is rice served with a customer’s choice of prepared dishes displayed at a food stall.

In Singapore, to chope means to reserve a seat or place, often by leaving a small personal item on a hawker-centre table.

Dabao means ordering food or a drink to be packed for takeaway instead of eating or drinking it at the stall.

A hawker centre is a shared Singapore dining space where many independent stalls sell a wide range of prepared food and drinks.

A kopitiam is a local coffee shop where drink and food stalls share a casual dining space serving a neighbourhood or nearby workers.

This guide explains how Singapore kopi terms combine coffee, milk, sugar, strength and temperature into a compact drink order.