Tagged food
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- ABCAis batu campur: shaved ice piled with syrup, red beans, corn and jelly.
- ais kosongPlain iced water. The cheapest order at any mamak.
- bandungPink rose syrup mixed with milk, a sweet favourite especially during Ramadan.
- banjirMalay for flood. At the mamak it means drowning your rice or roti in curry.
- bantaiTo whack or thrash someone, or to devour food with gusto.
- belanjaTo treat someone, as in pay for their food or drinks. Also means spending in general.
- bungkusMalay for wrap or takeaway. As slang it can also mean someone is finished or done for.
- campurMalay for mix. 'Kuah campur' means mixed curry gravy.
- chiaHokkien for treat, as in paying for someone. 'I chia you' means it's on me.
- dabaoThe Mandarin pronunciation of tapau, meaning to pack food to go. Also spelt da bao.
- economy riceMixed rice where you pick your own dishes from trays. Also called chap fan or nasi campur.
- heatyDescribes food believed to make your body too 'hot', like durian or fried stuff. The opposite is 'cooling'.
- ho jiakHokkien for delicious, beloved in Penang. Also ho chiak.
- hou sikCantonese for delicious. Also spelt ho sek.
- jiakHokkien for eat. 'Jiak pa buay?' means 'eaten yet?', the Penang way of saying hi. Also chiak.
- kayaSweet coconut egg jam spread on toast. Also the Malay word for rich.
- kenyangMalay for full after eating.
- kopi OBlack coffee with sugar, no milk. Kopi O kosong means no sugar either.
- kopi pengIced coffee with milk. 'Peng' is Hokkien for ice.
- kopitiamA traditional Chinese coffee shop with marble tables, kaya toast and old-school drinks.
- kow kowExtra strong or very, very much. Kopi kow kow is super thick coffee. Also spelt kaw kaw, kaw.
- kurang manisLess sweet. What health-conscious Malaysians say when ordering drinks.
- limau aisIced lime juice, the go-to thirst quencher. Teh O ais limau is iced lemon tea.
- lo heiTossing the yee sang salad high at Chinese New Year for good luck. Higher toss, more huat!
- makanMalay for eat, or food. Used everywhere, in every language.
- mamakA 24-hour Indian-Muslim eatery and the national hangout spot. Also means going there, as in 'jom mamak'.
- Milo dinosaurIced Milo topped with a mountain of extra Milo powder.
- nasi kandarRice with a mix of curries poured over, famously from Penang.
- nasi lemakCoconut rice with sambal, anchovies, peanuts and egg. The national breakfast.
- nesloA mamak mash-up of Nescafe and Milo in one cup.