Typical economical rice in Singapore (Photo: Desiree Koh)
Economical rice, cai png (veg and rice in Hokkien) or some like to call it “point point rice” is a common dish that is found in almost every hawker centre, foodcourt or coffeeshop in Singapore.
Customers usually order around 3 to 4 sides (by pointing) to go with white rice and as its name suggest, they are usually very affordable ($3 – $5) and filling, making the stalls that sell them popular during lunch and dinner hours.
While most of us don’t really pay attention and simply order away, here’s a quick food hack that might let you get a little more out of your economical rice dish.
First spotted on Facebook page called Lobang Siah, the post has since gone viral with over 2,000+ shares. Here’s the rundown if you can’t view the text in the image:
- Order the meat dishes first. The person will not think that you are a cheapskate and will give you a larger portion.
- When ordering, point at the dish as many times or as long as you can. The person will subconsciously give you more.
- Don’t rush when ordering. Give the person some time to scoop your dish before pointing to the next dish. This is because if you are in a rush, the person will scoop a lesser portion and move on to the next dish.
- Say 多一点饭 instead of 加饭. The person will probably give you more rice and not charge you.
Totally makes sense right?
Besides the post, there are other useful tips from the public.
Perhaps the stall’s boss is also environmentally conscious.
We learn something new every day.