‘Ordered a pork belly ban mian… All they gave are bones’ — Customer outraged at ‘$6.80 for pork bones’

SINGAPORE: A customer took to social media after being dissatisfied with his order of pork belly ban mian, claiming that all he was given was pork bones. Moreover, the attitude of the staff was not helpful at all.

Facebook user Jonathan Oh posted on the COMPLAINT SINGAPORE page on Wednesday (Mar 8) that “When I ask the stall why is it not pork belly she said that they give the bottom part of the pork belly which are bones.. Can’t be bothered to argue with her.”

Mr Oh added that the ban mian he received looked quite different from the photo of the dish posted on the signboard at Kopitiam@Changi Airport Terminal 4.

Indeed, the photo advertised showed slices of what appears to be pork belly pieces with fat resting on a base of noodles with chili in an orange sauce, with kailan or bok choy on the side.

And while the picture of the dish he received looks fairly appetizing, the meat slices included are full of bones.

He ended his post by writing, “Complete scam. Paid $6.80 for pork bones.”

Commenters on his post tended to agree with Mr Oh, with one writing that he would have sent the dish back.

“Even they gave the bottom part then where is the middle fat and the top part skin to form the pork belly. Yours look more like soft bone meat. I would have rejected the meal and ask for a refund or they serve me another bowl with whole of a pork belly meat.”

Another called it a “food trick to consumers.”

“Cheating case or Qiu Lian failed biology. Which animal belly got bones?” a netizen chimed in.

“Looks more like ribs,” another observed.

One netizen wrote, “Kopitiam food at airport vicinity (or hospitals) always overpriced and tastes sub-par, sometimes I rather eat Maggie mee. Food street at transit area still not bad.”

The Independent Singapore has reached out to Kopitiam for comment. /TISG