- bai-krapowใบกะเพราbai krapow/baj kra.pʰaw/
- Holy basil — clove-peppery Thai herb essential for drunken noodles. Different from sweet Thai basil.
- belacanbelacanbelacan/bəlat͡ʃan/
- Malaysian shrimp paste — denser and more intense than Thai kapi. For laksa, sambal.
- char-kway-teow炒粿條char kway teow/t͡sʰaːw˧˥.kuːi˧˥.tɛːw˧˥/
- Cantonese-Hokkien stir-fried wide rice noodle dish from Penang (Malaysia) and Singapore. Glossy dark soy, lap cheong sausage, shrimp, egg, bean sprouts. Distinct from Singapore Rice Noodles — char kway teow uses wide rice noodles and dark soy, not vermicelli and curry powder.
- gai-lan芥兰gai lan/kaj.lan/
- Chinese broccoli — thick-stemmed, slightly bitter, essential for pad see ew. Not Western broccoli.
- kapiกะปิkapi/ka.pi/
- Thai shrimp paste — fermented, intensely fishy. Used in curry pastes.
- kecap-maniskecap maniskecap manis/kɛ.t͡ʃap ma.nis/
- Indonesian sweet soy sauce. Thick, caramel-like, palm-sugar-sweetened. The defining flavor of mì goreng.
- kerupukkerupukkerupuk/kə.ru.puk/
- Indonesian prawn crackers. Crispy, served alongside mì goreng and other Indonesian dishes.
- madras-curry-powderMadras curry powderMadras curry powder/məˈdræs ˈkʌri/
- British-Indian curry blend developed in Madras (now Chennai). Cumin-coriander-turmeric-fenugreek-chili base. The yellow color and flavor that defines Singapore Rice Noodles — Hong Kong chefs adopted it during the British colonial era and named the dish *Singapore* as shorthand for Southeast Asian curry flavor.
- mi-gorengmì gorengmì goreng/mi ɡo.ɾɛŋ/
- Indonesian fried noodle — drained-not-soup format, tossed with kecap manis (sweet soy), chili, and oil. Indomie's flagship instant variant. *Goreng* means *fried* in Indonesian and Malay; the dish itself originated in Indonesian street food before becoming the world's most-eaten instant variant.
- pedas-mantappedas mantappedas mantap/pə.das man.tap/
- *Spicy steady* — Indonesia-domestic-market Indomie variant designed for daily very-spicy eating rather than challenge content. Higher capsaicin than Indomie Hot & Spicy; includes the standard five seasoning packets including kecap manis.
- sambal-oeleksambal oeleksambal oelek/sam.bal u.lɛk/
- Indonesian raw chili paste. Pure chili + salt + vinegar. The Indonesian heat-builder.
- sen-lekเส้นเล็กsen lek/sên lék/
- Thai thin flat rice noodle (5mm). The standard pad thai noodle width.
- sen-yaiเส้นใหญ่sen yai/sên jàj/
- Thai wide flat rice noodle (10-15mm). For drunken noodles, pad see ew, rad na.
- wok-hei鑊氣wok hei/wɔk hej/
- 'Breath of the wok' — the smoky-charred flavor from very high-heat wok cooking. Defining feature of char kway teow.