These Dishes Sound the Same in SG & MY But They’re Actually Different

These Dishes Sound the Same in SG & MY But They’re Actually Different

Goody Feed TV·2025-11-23 18:28

Business Enquiries: https://www.business.thebluecats.com.sg/The Blue Cats' Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/singaporethebluecats/ --------Singapore and Malaysia share many dish names, but the food can be quite different across the Causeway. There’s an initial disclaimer that food is taken very seriously in both countries and the point is to highlight differences, not decide which side is better, since even within Malaysia, Johor food can resemble Singapore’s more than Penang’s. Still, there are plenty of tongue-in-cheek comments about whose version tastes nicer.For chicken rice, Singapore’s style is usually more deboned with fewer bones, while the Malaysian version tends to have a lot more bones and often comes with taugeh (bean sprouts), which the narrator jokingly complains about. Bak kut teh also differs: Singapore’s is known for a clear, peppery broth, while Malaysia’s is more of a herbal-style soup. Both types can now be found in Singapore, so ordering bak kut teh can feel like a “blind box” since it’s not always obvious which style a stall sells. Despite its name, no tea is used in the cooking; traditionally, people just drank tea alongside it.Laksa and fried noodle dishes show even clearer contrasts. Curry laksa, common in Singapore hawker centres, is often treated as “Singapore laksa”, while assam laksa, a sour fish-based noodle, is associated with Malaysia. Singapore char kway teow is a darker, oilier mix of noodles and kway teow, typically fried with lots of dark soy sauce, whereas Malaysian char kway teow is usually lighter in colour and mostly kway teow. Other shared names hide very different dishes too. Singapore’s chai tow kway is fried radish cake with chai poh and egg, but Malaysia’s version sometimes adds taugeh into the mix. Hokkien mee in Singapore is a wet, yellow noodle dish that’s oily and rich, while Malaysia’s Hokkien mee can resemble Singapore’s prawn noodles and is often soup-based, which leads to confusion even in instant noodle form. For rojak, Singapore’s version commonly has youtiao, while the Malaysian rendition is more like a pure fruit salad with items like mango and cucumber. The overall point is that even when dishes share the same name, their ingredients, style and presentation can be very different between Singapore and Malaysia.

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