No taugeh in your CKT? This Bukit Panjang hawker will fine you 50 cents!

Requesting char kuey teow without bean sprouts is a common choice, but it’s worth considering the consequences. A hawker stall at Fajar Shopping Centre made headlines by imposing a S$0.50 surcharge for customers who prefer their CKT without bean sprouts.

As reported by Zaobao, the stall owner, Ms. Wu, defended the extra charge for her meals. She explained that she typically prepares her dishes in batches, each serving 4 or 5 portions, and making a single batch of CKT without bean sprouts can be time-consuming.

“We put up notices when we opened, not to make an extra 50 cents, but to make it convenient for ourselves. Our stall has 3 pots and can fry 4 or 5 portions at a time, but if diners don’t want bean sprouts, we have to specialise again. It takes time and effort to fry a portion for them.” – Ms. Wu.

Additionally, drawing from her 2 decades of experience in the food industry, she noted that customers frequently request for customised orders. Consequently, she ends up dedicating more time to preparing these specialised requests, which can impact the timely fulfilment of other customers’ orders.

She recounted an incident when a customer requested 3 different portions of fried rice noodles, pure noodles, and pure rice noodles. To accommodate this specific order, she had to cook 3 separate times. “If it’s during mealtime, other diners in line will also have to wait for a long time,” said Ms. Wu.

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After seeking input from other customers, it was evident that many of them were supportive of Ms. Wu’s additional fees. One customer, despite her personal dislike for bean sprouts, mentioned that she would order a standard CKT and simply remove the bean sprouts on her own.

Another diner commented — “If you don’t want bean sprouts, you’ll have to pay extra. Those diners who can’t accept it can choose not to eat it.”

What are your thoughts on this matter? Would you be willing to spend an additional S$0.50 to have your dish served without bean sprouts?

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