PRC cook at Henderson market charged $9 for cai fan (economic rice) — Netizen complains

Last week, we heard about a man being charged $11 for Economic Rice (cai png), which left netizens wondering if it was “Inflation or robbery?”. This week, a man complained that he was charged $9 for the economic rice at Henderson Market.

A netizen who went by the name of Li Junlian wrote on Facebook on Thursday (Jun 23) that he was charged SGD 9 for a plate of rice. In a post to public group Voice Your Grievances, Mr Li wrote that he bought his food at the coffee shop near the Tian Tian Hainanese Curry Rice stall.

Sharing a photo of his food, Mr Li wrote: “2 eggs, 1 pork cutlet, 1 sesame chicken. 9 SGD! Not even fish, prawn or seafood”. 

“The PRC cook charged me. The 2nd generation young chap boss was a polite guy. But not sure he knows about over charging Mr regular here”, Mr Li added.

In the comments, when asked by a netizen if the stallholder advised Mr Li of the prices before he bought his food, Mr Li responded: “Every day you ate (sic) your regular meal at the regular place at the regular price. Then one day without you knowing, they increase [the] price. You walk in expecting the same but got a shock? Fair. They claim rising costs to justify [an] increase in selling price. You think they will bother [to] inform customers? No, they simply put up their pricing board, and all of is (sic) customers can suck thumb”. 

Others also felt that due to recent increases in price, charging $5 for a pork cutlet, and $4 for two eggs and sesame chicken was not unreasonable.

Last week, a customer thought it was too much to pay S$11 for cai png or economy rice with fish at a hawker centre. Members from the online community confirmed unanimously that the meal was a ripoff.

“I paid S$11 for lunch this morning. I bought this from a neighbourhood market. I know fish is expensive, but come on, is this too much. Inflation or robbery?” asked netizen u/Dagachi_One in a Reddit forum on June 15. A photo of the meal in a transparent plastic container consisted of a piece of fish, some yong tau foo and rice.

The customer revealed in a comment that the dish was purchased from Mayflower Market and Food Centre in Ang Mo Kio. He admitted expecting to pay S$5 or S$6, not S$11 for the meal. /TISG

Inflation or robbery? S$11 Cai png (economy rice) with fish from AMK hawker centre