S$8.10: ‘Now even laksa without prawns, cockles or half egg is so expensive’

SINGAPORE: More Singaporeans are unhappy with rising living costs, and one item frequently complained about is the food price and “shrinkflation”, especially in restaurants.

One man posted a photo of a bowl of laksa he had ordered, which cost him S$8.10. The noodles themselves were only priced at S$7.70, but since it was a takeaway order, he was charged an extra 40 cents for the container.

In his Feb 27 (Tuesday) post on COMPLAINT SINGAPORE, Mr Bill Choo added that he could not choose the items that went into his meal.

“What do you think? Used to think those 24hr food courts that charge up to $8 for biryani or murtabak are expensive. But now even laksa without prawns, cockles or half egg is so expensive.

CDC vouchers only encourage vendors to charge more, whether it is F&B or haircut in the neighbourhood shops,” he wrote.

Mr Choo had ordered his meal from Tiong Bahru Yong Tao Hu in Kallang, according to a receipt he posted in a comment.

Many commenters agreed that the dish was indeed pricey, with one saying it would cost 10 ringgit or S$2.85 across the causeway.

Read also: Shrinkflation woes: GST increased just 1% but food reduced to “kids meal portion” that looked like “leftovers”

In a Feb 26 post on the page, another netizen said he was unhappy with the meal he ordered.

Mr Ng Ah Kok wrote, “Blk 505 Tampines Central. Indian stall. Mutton Briyani $7.50….. with NO MUTTON. Just a piece of potato, carrot, chicken skin and a lump of fats & a egg.”

He also posted a photo of his meal, eliciting much sympathy from commenters. They were also dismayed at the poor quality of the meal he received, considering the price that Mr Ng paid.

One wrote that he could return his meal if he were unsatisfied, but Mr Ng replied that the stall was far from where he lived, and therefore, he doubted that he could get a refund.

“Just want people to be careful when visiting this stall,” he added in a comment to his post.

The Independent Singapore has contacted Mr Choo, Mr Ng, and Tiong Bahru Yong Tao Hu for further comments or updates. /TISG

Read also: Shrinkflation or scam? Customer pays $4.60 for large fries, claims it was only half full