Diner complains after kueh chap stall refuses to sell a third bowl, owner says it’s against stall rules

SINGAPORE: A customer recently complained about his dining experience at a kueh chap stall in West Coast Market Food Centre. As part of his meal, he wanted to order an extra bowl of kueh, but the stall owner refused his request, claiming that they can only serve a total of two bowls to avoid excess ingredients. 

The 58-year-old diner told Lianhe Zaobao that he went to the food stall to have his lunch and ordered a bowl of kueh chap. According to him, his order included a plate of braised meat and eggs, a bowl of rice, and a bowl of rice cake. 

Worried that the bowl of kueh won’t be enough for his meal, he asked for an extra bowl of it, alongside an extra bowl of rice. Unfortunately, the owner refused to give him what he ordered. 

“The more I ate, the angrier I got. I finished the whole bowl of rice and kueh, but there were still some leftovers, so I went back to the stall to ask for an explanation,” the diner said. 

Later on, the owner finally agreed to sell him another bowl of rice cake, but also said that it won’t happen again. “I have such a big appetite. I don’t know why I can’t even buy an extra bowl of rice cake… I felt his attitude was wrong”, the diner added. 

When the reporters from Shin Min Daily News visited the stall, the 51-year-old owner admitted that the diner had requested an extra bowl of kueh. He then explained that they follow a rule that one portion of kueh soup can only be paired with a maximum of two bowls of rice or two bowls of kueh, or one bowl of kueh and one bowl of rice. 

“We cannot serve three servings of staple food with one portion of kueh soup,” the owner remarked. He further explained that the stall prepares a fixed amount of kueh every day to match the ingredients of the food that they serve that day.

“This is the rule of my stall,” he added. 

However, the owner said that there will be exceptions if there are special circumstances, mainly if the customers are elderly and are really in need. In fact, he said that he would even treat them to a meal. 

The owner made it clear that if customers do not respect his rules, they can dine at other stalls. “I believe other local stalls have similar regulations,” he stated. 

The diner still believes that they should not refuse to sell and says that he won’t be dining there again.