When In Singapore: Having Here / Take Away

As a Filipino, I am used in saying "Dine In" if I would like to eat what I ordered in a restaurant in the place itself and "take out"/ "to go" if I want to have it wrapped. So when I first tried ordering my first meal here in Singapore (I think it was the famous Chicken Rice), I was definitely not aware of the fact that those verb phrases aren't used here. Needless to say, the cashier didn't understand me and he probably thought that I wasn't speaking English. After figuring it out on my own, I finally had my chicken rice on a plate and ready to look for an empty table to finally taste this dish. I will definitely write another entry for this dish, of course. 

So back to these Singlish verb phrases;  they are pretty useful to tourists so that you will not receive that look from the cashier / uncle when you tell your orders to him. Having here is used when you would like to eat in the place itself. You can use it anywhere - hawker centres, kopitiams, or even in fast food stalls. And Take Away (Tapau? don't know if this is the right pin yin for the term) is being used whenever you want to have what you ordered wrapped up.  

So if you are going to visit Singapura, do take note of these Singlish phrases and you're off to enjoying whatever dish you want to eat. 

When in Singapore is a series of entries featuring the beautiful Singapore - it’s people, it’s culture, it’s food and it’s places). Join me in my journey to get to know this country deeper.