S'pore woman complains of 'expensive' S$9 cai fan at Punggol hawker, stall says they gave her extra for her daughter

A 50-year-old woman named Liang visited a Punggol hawker centre on July 30 to enjoy a cai fan meal with her daughter. She ordered a bowl of white porridge and four dishes including glass noodles with tofu, egg tofu, scrambled eggs, and broccoli. The total cost was S$9, consisting of S$8 for the dishes and S$1 for the porridge. However, Liang felt the meal was too expensive.

Upon inquiry, the stall staff explained that they had charged her S$2 per dish because they assumed the meal was intended for two people. Liang insisted she had only requested an extra bowl of porridge for her daughter, and did not ask for an increase in food portion sizes. She also noted that another customer had paid S$5.80 for two dishes and a meat dish, which made her feel the staff's explanation was unfair.

The hawker centre management was informed about Liang's complaint. Upon visiting the stall, Shin Min Daily News found a price list indicating that vegetables, eggs, and tofu cost between S$1 and S$1.50, while ordinary meats ranged from S$1 to S$2.50. The most expensive steamed fish tail was priced between S$6 and S$10. Based on this information, the stall employee initially offered a double portion by his own initiative, but later claimed that he thought the food was for two people.