What a recent unfortunate incident of a cancelled bulk order incurred for noodle store Shuang Kou Mian (爽口面). A bulk order of 45 bowls of noodles was received on GrabFood, only for it to be cancelled shortly after an hour into preparation.
In a frantic desperation to distribute these bowls of noodles, the owner posted on several Facebook groups seeking mouths to feed. All for free.
The original Facebook post, which was posted on 20 Oct 2022, was an invite to all: “Would like to give out these 45 packet noodles for free to anyone who wants! Or donate it to anyone in need.” As of the time of publishing, the post has since been edited as all of the bowls have been cleared.
Despite the stall owners’ kindheartedness, many netizens broke out with indignation over how the Grab driver had reacted to the cancelled order— by “throwing the noodles back at [the stall]”.
Even in the face of adversities, the stall owners of Shuang Kou Mian urged for netizens to be understanding to all parties involved. For the Grab driver that threw the noodles back at them, his frustration was reasoned as he could have earned a profit from delivering a bulk order.
Simultaneously, the hawker emphasised their difficulty in the process of rushing out larger orders. However, in spite of the misfortune faced, the hawker demonstrated acts of kindness instead of anger or frustration.
The ability to demonstrate empathy in the heat of misfortune makes the “whole incident a positive one”, the hawkers behind Shuang Kou Mian said in response to one of the Facebook comments.
Their positive attitude continued as the stall owners took the opportunity to encourage the act of giving and receiving, and in the same Facebook post, mentioned that they have been running a Belanja Eat initiative for some time now.
The Belanja Eat initiative started at the beginning of Circuit Breaker 2020, where one could get or give a free meal, all while supporting local hawkers. Although this pay-it-forward and no-questions-asked initiative no longer has proper management behind it, many hawkers and F&B stalls still follow through on their own accord. Food acts to bring people together, especially when times are tough.
At the forefront of the F&B industry, hawkers continuously bite the bullet to entertain customer’s demands. While it might be normal for hawkers to deal with the receiving ends of unreasonable customers, to what extent does a customer’s actions become tyrannical?
The hawkers of Shuang Kou Mian display traits of compassion that should be commended. Should anyone be in the area of One North, do drop down to patronise and support their kind behaviour!
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Shuang Kou Mian (爽口面)
73A Ayer Rajah Crescent, Timbre+, #01-11, Singapore, Singapore 139957
Shuang Kou Mian (爽口面)
73A Ayer Rajah Crescent, Timbre+, #01-11, Singapore, Singapore 139957
