Cockroach found within Korean steamboat midway through meal at Clementi Mall, restaurant responds

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Imagine that you are famished beyond belief, contentedly eating a meal when a cockroach reveals itself in your half-eaten bowl. Well, that’s exactly what happened to Ms Lee at Ha-Jun Korean in Clementi Mall.

On 26 May 2023, Ms Lee had eaten half her Korean steamboat order when she saw what she thought was hair on the beef slices. To her horror, she had pushed the slices apart to reveal a grown cockroach almost the size of an eraser.

Cockroach in Korean steamboat — Cockroach between beef slices
Credit – Shin Min Daily News

It is no surprise that she no longer had the appetite to stomach her Korean Style Steamboat (S$10.20) after that. She claims that upon complaining to the staff about the cockroach, they seemed indifferent to the situation.

“After I complained to the staff, they said they would refund $10,” Ms Lee recounted to Shin Min Daily News, noting that there was no immediate apology.

The manager, Ms Chen offered to cover the medical cost for Ms Lee’s visit to the doctor. However, she did not produce any evidence to prove that such a claim was made. the money for the meal was refunded and Ms Lee took her leave.

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When questioned by Shin Min, Ms Chen conceded that the presence of the cockroach was due to the restaurant’s negligence, and took full responsibility for it. She pointed out that it is management policy to cover a customer’s medical expenses if they deem it legitimate.

This policy apparently also states that staff are not obliged to provide any written proof. In this case, the only record was an exchange of WhatsApp messages.

Cockroach in Korean steamboat — storefront
Credit

Ms Chen also stated that the restaurant has always had a tight cleaning schedule, with a cleaning regime before opening and after closing. Ha-Jun Korean has conducted regular pest control operations.

It seems that pests are trending among eateries these days. Perhaps, it would be wise to inspect your food before taking a bite, regardless of how hungry you are.

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Ha-Jun Korean

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