Toa Payoh roasted meat stall declines customer’s ‘duck rice without rice’ order

Customer orders ‘duck rice without rice’, gets declined by stall

A customer in Singapore was left frustrated after a roasted meat stall declined his order for “duck rice without rice”.

Speaking to Shin Min Daily News, 42-year-old Mr Li said that the incident happened on Tuesday (29 Oct) at an eatery near Toa Payoh MRT station.

His order of duck without rice was rejected on the basis that the stall did not offer such an option.

Although Mr Li explained he wanted to avoid food waste and was willing to pay the full price of S$6.90, the staff said that their boss had instructed them not to sell the dish as such.

Undeterred, Mr Li returned the following day, thinking the issue might have been a misunderstanding. However, his order was once again denied.

He expressed his confusion over the stall’s policy, and claimed that he’s been able to do so at other eateries.

Stall owner explains reasoning

The stall’s owner, Lily Ann, explained that her establishment is a small restaurant rather than a coffee shop stall. This thus limits her ability to sell single portions of duck.

“A pack of duck rice contains only four or five slices of duck meat. Selling just the meat without rice wouldn’t look appealing,” she said.

Meanwhile, for customers who only want meat, she suggested a quarter or half a duck, priced at S$22 and S$28 respectively.

“You won’t find a single portion of duck for S$6.90 at the market, and a quarter duck is about two portions, which is reasonable,” she asserted.

Diner dissatisfied by poor service from staff

Mr Li also criticised the staff’s service, claiming he was made to wait 10 minutes without being acknowledged, despite the restaurant not being busy at the time.

“It’s not about the money; it’s about the value of the service. Her attitude made me uncomfortable,” he commented.

In response to the complaint, Ms Lily Ann expressed surprise, saying it was the first complaint she had received in over 20 years of operation.

Also read: Customers dismayed after Tai Hwa Pork Noodle removes cheapest bowl costing S$6

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Featured image adapted from Google Maps and Google Maps.