‘Is the chicken gold-plated?’ Malaysian woman stunned by S$8.50 cai fan in Singapore CBD

SINGAPORE: A Malaysian woman has sparked discussion online after expressing shock at the price of a simple cai fan meal in the Central Business District, saying the once budget-friendly dish now feels more like a “luxury.”

In her post on the r/SingaporeRaw forum, she shared that during a recent visit to a food court near Raffles Place, she ordered cai fan with two vegetables and one meat, only to be charged S$8.50 for the plate.

The woman said that when she heard the price, she almost asked the auntie if the “chicken was gold plated.”

“Honestly, the ‘oil rice’ (cai fan) prices are getting out of hand,” she wrote. “I remember when S$5 could get you a full plate. At this rate, it’s cheaper to just fast or bring bread from home.”

Frustrated with rising costs, the woman added that she is “seriously considering” moving back to Kuala Lumpur or finding a side gig that pays enough to keep up with inflation.

“Ridiculous lah,” she added. “Why is cai fan in the CBD area becoming a luxury item now? Is it just that specific stall or is the whole of SG just becoming unplayable for the average person?”

“Why is yours so extreme?”

In the comments section, many locals shared that the cai fan they usually buy still costs around S$5. Several suggested that the woman may have simply gone to a more expensive stall and advised her to explore other options before concluding that prices have become too high.

One commenter said, “I still get my lunch for around S$5. Silly you never explore.”

Another wrote, “Don’t know where you’re eating at. I can get cai fan for S$4 to S$5. S$8.50 probably means [you ordered something like] three meat dishes and one vegetable.”

A third chimed in, “Why is yours so extreme? There are cheap cai fan and good options in the CBD. Sometimes it’s even cheaper than the new neighbourhood areas in Singapore. If it’s a food court with air conditioning and other facilities, then naturally the meals are going to be pricier.”

Some, however, agreed with the woman and said that food prices in the area have genuinely gone up. One commenter said, “I work there. Every day I just randomly buy one lunch and a kopi and it’s already around S$10. I’m not even talking about premium food.”

Amid the discussion, a few users also urged people not to criticise hawkers over rising prices. One wrote, “People should stop taking a dump on hawkers. They wake up early and work their backs off, and it’s not like they are living a life of luxury in their ivory towers for all that work. People want fewer Chinese eateries; put your money where your mouth is and support these hawkers. Nobody owes you cheap cai png.”

In other news, a man in his 40s shared on social media that he feels deeply “dejected” because his poor credit score has not only caused him to lose his job in 2024, but it has also prevented him from finding new employment.

“I am lost. And I feel hopeless,” he wrote. “Some people have very bad criminal records and they can still secure good jobs. But I have a poor credit score and I am ultimately rejected for all the jobs I applied for.”

Read more: ‘I feel dejected’: Man in his 40s says ‘poor credit score’ cost him his job and future career opportunities