Woman who rejected Lau Pa Sat date launches her own merch despite mounting criticism

SINGAPORE: A Singapore woman who made headlines last week for rejecting a date who wanted to take her to Lau Pa Sat has doubled down on her stance, despite widespread criticism, and even launched a line of T-shirts online.

Naomi, who goes by @naomiblackk on Instagram, shared screenshots of her conversation with a man who had suggested that they dine at Lau Pa Sat for their first date. Naomi was repulsed by the suggestion and decided against meeting the man at all. She wrote in a story, “Anyone who invites me to Lau Pa Sat is getting cancelled, it’s just plain rude lol. I don’t care how handsome you are. I don’t give chances; this is not charity.”

As her comments went viral and began to get cross-posted across the internet, Naomi said in another Instagram story, “I don’t get these online trolls and men who are just so insecure and trying to be so defensive and stuff. Like, no one said I am going to date you. You can just stick within your tax bracket.”

Her comments attracted criticism online, with a number of netizens, both men and women, commenting that her date had “dodged a bullet.” Naomi, however, has defended her position and said that other women have reached out to her with praise.

She wrote on Instagram over the weekend, “It’s wild to me that my dating standards became a national debate, but hey, knowing what you want and sticking to it isn’t arrogance, it’s clarity.

“The best part? I’ve had so many women reach out and follow, saying they feel the same but never said it out loud. That solidarity means more than the noise.”

She added that she has decided to “have some fun” with the wave of interest in her comments and has designed a few T-shirts that she is selling online. One of the T-shirts boldly proclaims, “I don’t do first dates at Lau Pa Sat”.

The T-shirts are apparently available for pre-order, but Naomi said she is looking for a printing company which is ready to collaborate with her on producing the merchandise. She wrote, “I’ve got a couple designs ready, but I’m super busy and can’t manage!”