Food court prices are expected to be budget-friendly. Still, a recent incident in Singapore’s food court has stirred some controversy.
A man expressed dissatisfaction after being charged $8 for a plate of bee hoon, a dish typically priced around $3.
This discrepancy has led many to question whether this was an instance of overcharging, as the same amount could provide a double portion elsewhere.
Man Complains Being Charged for $8 Bee Hoon
On Friday (20 October), Eric Tan took to Facebook to express his dissatisfaction with a hefty $8 charge for a plate of bee hoon at a food court within Singapore General Hospital (SGH).
In his post, he wrote, “I’ve never paid this much for a plate of vegetarian bee hoon. It cost me $8 at Singapore General Hospital.”
As of today (24 October), his post has garnered more than 500 reactions and 150 comments.
Alongside his post, he shared a photo showcasing his bee hoon dish, featuring a topping of vegetarian roast goose, fried egg, and long beans.
SGH Food Court Assistant Responds to “Pricy $8 Bee Hoon”; Wants to Look at Receipt
In an interview with local Chinese media outlet Shin Min Daily News, a stall assistant at the SGH food court acknowledged having seen Mr Eric’s Facebook post and clarified the pricing error in the photo.
The stall assistant provided a breakdown of the individual charges, stating that the bee hoon was priced at $2, the fried egg at $1.50, the long beans at $1, and the vegetarian roast goose at $2.50.
Additionally, the assistant highlighted that the cost of vegetarian roast goose can be relatively high, with a bag priced at $10.
Emphasising that their menu displays the prices of each item, the stall assistant refuted the claim of the pricing mentioned in Mr Eric’s post.
The assistant said he hoped Mr Eric could produce his receipt as evidence.
Furthermore, the stall assistant said hospital employees are entitled to a 20% discount on food purchases within the food court.
Notably, many of the stall’s employees are foreigners from Myanmar or Vietnam, leading the assistant to suggest that a language barrier may have contributed to the misunderstanding between the customer and the stall.
Following the viral Facebook post, numerous netizens have shared their thoughts on the incident, with one user declaring it a “daylight robbery.”
Several others said that the dish in the photo appeared to be valued between $3 to $4, suggesting that Mr Eric might consider lodging a formal complaint directly with the hospital.
In a separate perspective, one user highlighted that hospitals typically charge a “premium” for their food compared to the more modest prices commonly found at hawker centres and food courts.