| Archar | A vegetable pickle (Indian) |
| Akagai | Cockle (Japanese) |
| Al dente | Term to describe cooked pasta that is soft but firm to the tooth (Italian) |
| Aloo gobi | Potato and cauliflower dish (Indian)/td> |
| American lobster | Also called Boston lobster, it is identifiable by a presence of front claws |
| Amuse-bouche | A tasty starting tidbit sent by the chef (French) |
| Anago | Conger eel (Japanese) |
| Antipasto | A course of hors d’oeuvres [plural: antipasti] (Italian) |
| Aoyaki | Round clam (Japanese) |
| Armagnac | The oldest brandy from France, named after the region in which it is made |
| Aspic | Savoury meat jelly used as a garnish or to contain game, eggs, etc |
| Au gratin | Dish covered with breadcrumbs, butter and/or grated cheese and baked until brown (French) |
| Au jus | “In its own juice,” used to refer to the serving of meat (French) |
| Awabi | Abalone (Japanese) |
| Bak chang | A local rice dumpling filled with savoury or sweet meat and wrapped in leaves |
| Bak kut teh | A local pork-rib soup which has hints of garlic and Chinese five spices |
| Béarnaise sauce | Sauce made from egg yolk, butter, shallots, wine, vinegar and herbs (French) |
| Béchamel sauce | A white cheese and butter sauce (French) |
| Beef rendang | Beef stewed with spices and coconut milk (Malay/Indonesian) |
| Belachan | Fermented prawn paste used as a condiment in local cuisine |
| Bhindi | Okra or lady’s finger (Indian) |
| Bird’s nest | The edible nest of various small swifts or swallows of southern Asia, made chiefly of glutinous secretions from their salivary glands |
| Biryani | A dish of basmati rice and meat, seafood or vegetables (North Indian) |
| Bittergourd | A bitter-tasting vegetable |
| Bok choy | A variety of Chinese cabbage that grows like celery, with long white stalks and dark green leaves |
| Bouillabaisse | A spicy Provencale fish stew (French) |
| Bourguignon | Burgundy style, meaning cooked with red wine, mushrooms, bacon and onion |
| Brinjal | Aubergine (Indian) |
| Bruschetta | Toasted bread topped with tomato, garlic, basil and parmesan cheese (Italian) |
| Buah keras | See candle-nut (Malay) |
| Caesar salad | Romaine lettuce with croutons and grated Parmesan cheese in a garlic-flavoured olive oil vinaigrette, sometimes with anchovies or bacon |
| Canard | Duck (French) |
| Candle-nut | Called “kimiri” in Indonesian and “buah keras” in Malay, it is a smallish white-fleshed nut, shaped like a hazelnut |
| Capers | The flower buds of the caper plant, which are pickled and used as a condiment |
| Cardamom | The seed pods of a member of the ginger family, used as a fragrant spice in North Indian and Moghul dishes |
| Carpaccio | Thinly sliced raw beef fillet, served with olive oil, lemon juice and par mesan shavings (Italian) |
| Cep | A type of mushroom |
| Char kway teow | A local dish of broad rice noodles fried with a dark, sweet sauce and cockles, Chinese sausage, prawns, bean sprouts or fish cake |
| Char siew | Sweetish barbecued pork (Chinese) |
| Chendol | An Asian dessert made with a mixture of red kidney beans, jelly, coconut milk and brown sugar syrup topped with ice shavings |
| Cheng tng | A dessert consisting of a bowl of syrup with pieces of herbal jelly, barley and dates (Singaporean) |
| Chèvre | Goat’s cheese (French) |
| Chicken rice | A local dish made of rice, which has been boiled in chicken stock and ginger, served with steamed chicken slices |
| Chilli padi | An extremely hot variety of small chilli |
| Choy sum | A popular Chinese green vegetable, served steamed with oyster sauce |
| Chutoro maguro | A cut from the outside of a tuna’s belly (Japanese) |
| Ciabatta | Crusty bread made with olive oil (Italian) |
| Clay-pot rice | A rice dish cooked in a clay casserole with pieces of chicken, Chinese mushroom, Chinese sausage and soy sauce |
| Congee | Chinese porridge |
| Couscous | A fluffy, small-grained wheat semolina used like rice in Middle Eastern cuisine |
| Crème brulée | A cream or custard dessert covered with caramelised sugar (French) |
| Crème caramel | A dessert made of eggs, sugar and milk topped with caramel (French). Also known as Crema Catalana (Spanish) |
| Crèpe | Thin, sweet pancake (French) |
| Daikon | A large white radish (Japanese) |
| Dhal | A dish of pureed lentils (Indian) |
| Dhosas | Light, crispy, jumbo-sized pancakes brimming with potatoes, onions and spices |
| Dim sum | Sweet and savoury buns, dumplings and mini dishes served at breakfast and lunch |
| Di wang | A leafy Asian vegetable |
| Dolmades | Vine leaves rolled and stuffed with mint-spiced rice (Greek) |
| Dow see | Fermented salted black beans (Chinese) |
| Drunken prawns | A delicacy in which live prawns are placed in Chinese wine and then steamed (Chinese) |
Get news about the hottest restaurant openings and events in town, weekly dining deals and essential insider information. Enter your email address now to sign up to our FREE weekly newsletter.
