When we dine out, we trust that our food is prepared in sanitary surroundings. Seeing a rat scurrying around is thus the last thing one would expect — but was exactly what one customer at a kopitiam in Ang Mo Kio encountered.
He apparently spotted the rodent scurrying up pipes at a roasted meat stall, near bunches of ducks being hung out to dry.
The customer managed to capture visual evidence of its presence, which raised concerns about hygiene.
The stomach-churning sight was seen at kopitiam in Block 339 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 1, reported Shin Min Daily News.
A customer named only as Mr Pan was dining there at about 8pm when he saw a “black shadow” in the roast meat stall.
He quickly took out his phone to record a video when he realised it was a rat, the 42-year-old said.
In the video that he shared with Shin Min, a mouse about 15cm long could be seen climbing up a pipe at the back of the stall.
Next to it were four roast ducks being hung out to dry.
Source: Shin Min Daily News on Facebook
Mr Pan said that the stall was closed at the time, so the duck meat was apparently meant for sale the next day.
He joked that the rodent was so huge that from the looks of it, ‘Mickey Mouse’ was even bigger than ‘Donald Duck’.
Mr Pan told the paper he felt that exposed food is easily contaminated with bacteria.
Rats scurrying around make the premises even more unsanitary, he said.
As he’s concerned that other stalls will be affected too, he’s decided not to patronise the kopitiam for the time being.
When queried, an employee of the roast meat stall told Shin Min Daily News that this is the first time that rats have been seen at the stall since it opened about two years ago.
They will now store all food left in the open properly, they added.
Staff at other stalls said they’d seen rats in the garbage area at the back of the kopitiam.
At night, one or two would emerge looking for food.
The premises are cleaned every few months and the situation will be closely monitored, they added.
Shin Min observed that every stall in the kopitiam is fitted with protective nets.
About four rubbish bins of various sizes are separated from the premises by a wall. There are also cardboard boxes and other items piled to the side.
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Featured image adapted from Shin Min Daily News on Facebook and Google Maps.
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