A Night Market Order Turns Into A Full-On Conversation
A late-night food run in Kaifeng turned into a heartwarming exchange when Singaporean content creator @reefkey__ (Rifqi) placed his order using a translator app — only for his pronunciation of “dabao” (takeaway) to give him away instantly.
The video begins with him ordering “mutton stick x2, mutton kidney x3” through his phone. The stallkeeper repeats the order to a bespectacled friend, who calculates the price — 34 RMB — before casually asking Rifqi in Mandarin:
“Takeaway or eat here?”
When Rifqi replied, “dabao”, the man paused… then asked,
“You’re not from China right?”
Cue Rifqi laughing, and the smooth guessing game begins.
‘Malaysia? No? Singapore? Ah! Singapore, welcome welcome welcome!’
Upon hearing his accent, the friendly local immediately tried to guess where this clearly-not-local customer was from.
“Malaysia?”
“Nope,” Rifqi replied in Mandarin.
“Singapore?”
“Correct.”
His face instantly lit up.
“Nice. Singapore. Welcome welcome welcome!”
Rifqi told him he could speak “a bit” of Chinese — prompting the man to ask if he was a native speaker.
“I am Malay,” Rifqi explained. The caption here noted he was trying his luck with understanding the Mandarin — hence some slightly off replies.
Local Shows Off Knowledge: ‘Malay? Oh! I know about Malays.’
Surprisingly, the Kaifeng local launched into what can only be described as a casual crash course on Southeast Asian history:
- “In your country, the official languages are Malay, English and Chinese right?”
(Rifqi clarified via caption that Singapore officially has four: English, Malay, Tamil and Chinese.) - “Singapore and Malaysia were separated. Right?”
Rifqi, laughing in disbelief, replied: “Correct. Oh you know ah?”
“Of course I know la,” the man shot back — yes, he even used the la.
He then added that Singapore had Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists/Taoists — “Everyone is friends, okay?”
‘Hello, how are you?’ — And The Man Nails It
When the conversation reached the limit of Rifqi’s Chinese vocabulary, both men chuckled. The local suggested a translator, saying he knew a bit of English.
Rifqi decided to test him.
“Hello, how are you?”
To his surprise, the man burst out laughing and replied perfectly:
“How are you? I’m fine too!”
“Very good la!” Rifqi responded.
A Photo, Jasmine Tea & A ‘Salaam’ Before Parting Ways
Before Rifqi left, the man asked for a photo together and even handed him a jasmine tea.
They exchanged salaam in Arabic — the man had earlier mentioned he was Muslim — and added each other on Weixin.
Rifqi ended the video saying,
“They’re all so nice bro.”
Comments: ‘Wholesome’, ‘Did he just say ok lor?’ & ‘How did you find a Muslim stall?’
Viewers adored the exchange.
Some were amused by the Singlish slipping out from the local (“ok lor”), while others wondered how Rifqi found halal food in Kaifeng.
One user explained that Kaifeng has a significant community of Hui Muslims, even noting that the city houses China’s oldest female mosque.
Another asked how people in China normally say “takeaway.” Rifqi replied that he’d heard both dabao and waimai, before a commenter clarified that waimai 外卖 means delivery, while takeaway is dàizǒu 带走.
Rifqi laughed it off: “Still learning haha… thanks for the info!”
A Small Mispronunciation, A Big Moment Of Connection
What started as a simple order of mutton skewers turned into an unexpectedly wholesome moment between strangers — complete with cultural trivia, surprisingly fluent English, and a new friendship on Weixin.
Sometimes, all it takes is one “dabao” spoken slightly differently to show how warm people can be.
Screengrabs courtesy of @reefkey__ Instagram Reel.
Watch the video here:
@reefkey__ Actually surprised because he is the first local to talk to me about SG and MY separation haha First time in Kaifeng! Thank you @pipi prawn for your recommendation ❤️😮💨 More vlogs coming soon so follow for more! #kaifeng #tiktoksg #china #solotravel #fyp
More from Wake Up Singapore:-
Adorable Duet with Toddler Shines Light on SG Street Performer ‘The Official Rex’
“Cutest Thing Ever”: Singaporean Sets Up a Cozy Bed for Community Cat, Melts Hearts
If you have a story or a tip-off, email admin@wakeup.sg or get in touch via Whatsapp at 8882 5913.
Interested in advertising on our media channels? Reach out to us at admin@wakeup.sg!
Since you have made it to the end of the article, follow Wake Up Singapore on Telegram and X!
Wake Up Singapore is a volunteer-run site that covers alternative views in Singapore. If you want to volunteer with us, sign up here!
