'Already-cut meat must go first': Singapore hawker defends refusal to sell duck drumstick

SINGAPORE: A customer took to social media after being unhappy with a popular food stall when she tried to order the drumstick part of a duck, but the hawker refused to sell it to her for reasons based on his long experience.

The customer had gone to Ho Bee Roasted Food at 628 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 4 after 2:00 p.m. on Sunday (Nov 8), according to a report in Shin Min Daily News. 

Because of the sizable queue, she had to wait a while before she could place her order of a single duck leg.

The hawker, however, said he would not give her a drumstick from an uncut duck, as he wanted to sell portions of meat that had already been cut first, but the woman did not accept this reasoning.

She wrote in her post that "there were still approximately 15 to 20 whole ducks hanging at the stall, clearly indicating that they still had sufficient stock.

I understand that the stall owner may wish to clear the pre-cut portions first, but this should not come at the expense of customers who have patiently waited in line."

The diner added that it was far from closing time and there was still a queue behind her, suggesting that the hawker had plenty of time to sell the already-cut meat.

Therefore, he should not have refused her order.

In addition to this, she alleged that he had a bad attitude toward her.

The hawker, however, explained his side to Shin Min Daily News.

Lin Jian Zhong (transliteration), who owns Ho Bee Roasted Food, said that at the time the woman wanted to order the duck drumstick, he had been open for business for more than three hours and the lunchtime rush was done. 

He still had a number of large pieces of already-cut meat that should be sold first.

Duck meat experiences changes in quality once it is cut up, and dries out after around half an hour, Mr Lin added.

Therefore, he would not accept the woman’s order so that the meat of a whole duck would be kept fresh and its juices preserved, he said.

He acknowledged that diners generally prefer drumsticks to other parts of a fowl, but he added that each duck has only two legs. Had there only been a few pieces without drumsticks that were still unsold, he would have cut up a new duck, said Mr Lin, who also said his manner toward the woman had been polite from the beginning. 

The hawker, who has been in the business for over 25 years, said this is not the first time this has happened, and that he has encountered diners who have been disappointed when he refused to sell them drumsticks. However, the majority of diners accept his explanation. /TISG

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