Whenever a customer orders clams at a mixed vegetable rice (cai peng) stall, it can be a hit or miss, because some shells may end up being empty or broken.
Mistakes happen. Such is life.
However, this customer never expected that some of the closed clams would be filled with mud, which caused him to loudly remark that it was “super disgusting”.
The mixed vegetable stall worker has since admitted to their negligence and promised that they would be more diligent next time.
What Happened?
On 18 August, a netizen called Ah Du (transliterated) went to a coffee shop under Block 347 on Bukit Batok Street 34 to have a meal. He ordered one plate of mixed rice vegetables that had a portion of clams.
According to the TikTok video he shared later, he pried opened a few clams after he was done with the meal. To his surprise, three of them were full of mud, while the other two appeared to be spoilt.
Ah Du also left a few replies in the comment section, explaining that he had only opened the sealed clams after he was done eating, but he did not anticipate that he would witness such a disgusting scene.
“I didn’t ask for a refund. In truth, I was already mentally prepared before I started eating; it’s impossible that all the clams are good. I was merely curious and wanted to see if there was anything inside.”
He even joked around, saying that his luck was shot this time. He hoped that everyone can pay attention in the future. If the clams aren’t already open, just leave them be.
It would probably be for the best.
Apart from the clams on the plate, the video also showed that there were at least 10 opened clams piled on the table.
“It Was Our Negligence”
When Shin Min Daily News reporters went down to the coffee shop for an interview, a staff member at the mixed vegetable rice stall who wanted to remain anonymous said that they would usually pick out the good clams before cooking it.
This incident came about due to a moment of negligence.
The stall worker elaborated, “Usually, we will soak the clams in salt water first, cook it in hot water for a period of time, and then pick out the unopened clams. Most of the time, the unopened clams will have mud in them. This incident arose due to our negligence. The management has already dispatched someone to supervise for a few days, we will exercise greater diligence in the future.”
Stall: Customers Can Ask For Refunds
The stall worker also revealed that there were occasions where customers would bring back the unopened clams and feedback about it. They would usually let the customers select another dish as a replacement.
He added that if the customers ask for a refund, he can return their money too.
But for this particular incident, the customer did not inform them about the problem.
The mixed vegetable rice stall has been open for eight to nine years and this was the first time someone complained online.
They apologise for their negligence.
However, they hope that the customer can issue a direct complaint to them next time, so they can correct the problem in a timely manner.
Featured Image: Shin Min Daily News 新明日报