$5,000 over a cockroach? Diner seeks compensation after allegedly finding insect in char kway teow

A diner asked for $5,000 in compensation after allegedly finding a cockroach in his plate of char kway teow from a restaurant at Serangoon.

Speaking to AsiaOne, 35-year-old Syed Rafidhi said that the incident took place on Aug 22 at Al Majlis Serangoon Road.

Video footage of the incident was also shared on Threads by his niece, who goes by the username shortangryman, showing a large cockroach wedged between the fried noodles on his plate.

According to Syed, he had reported the cockroach to staff immediately.

The plate of food was "quickly" taken away, and staff even offered to replace the meal, Syed said, adding that he rejected the offer "knowing the kitchen is dirty".

Syed, who works as a Grab driver, said that he reached out to Al Majlis to provide feedback after the incident, and met with the restaurant's owner on Sept 9.

During the meeting, the restaurant owner asked Syed how much he wanted as compensation for the incident, to which he responded: $5,000.

"He said he will discuss with his partner and get back to me after that," Syed told AsiaOne.

When asked why he decided to upload his videos only 4 weeks after the incident, Syed said that he had not received any response from Al Majlis regarding his $5,000 request and thus decided to "seek public opinion".

'We will not tolerate bad-faith allegations': Al Majlis

In response to the viral post on Threads, Al Majlis said that food safety and guest trust are their top priorities, and that they "welcome genuine feedback but will not tolerate bad-faith allegations".

"This claim was made long after the alleged incident and coincided with a financial demand," the restaurant said, adding that their legal team is now involved and that they "reserve all rights to pursue legal action against false or defamatory statements".

Speaking to AsiaOne, the managing director of Al Majlis Serangoon Road, Niyas Babu, said that the restaurant takes "all food safety matters seriously".

He added: "This report was raised alongside an unpaid financial demand and threats of public posting. The matter is currently under review, and we are fully cooperating with the authorities while taking appropriate advice."

Babu also confirmed that Syed and an unidentified person had demanded $5,000 in compensation "for damages" during their meeting on Sept 9, but that he declined their proposal.

"We do internal hygiene checks every day before shop opening and closing. We have regular third party checking and treatments as per the contract and no findings or concerns.

Syed and his niece also left one-star reviews on Al Majlis' Google Reviews, with Syed alleging that the restaurant did not take the incident seriously and "brush(ed) it off just like that".

"We are actively preserving all relevant evidence, including surveillance footage, and are consulting legal counsel," the restaurant replied, also urging the public from sharing unverified claims while the issue is being addressed through proper legal channels.

Based on AsiaOne's checks, Al Majlis has a total of 529 reviews and 4.5-star rating on Google Reviews.

Gratitude towards loyal customers

Babu also told AsiaOne that Al Majlis remains unwavering in their commitment to serving food prepared to the highest standards of quality, safety, and hygiene.

"At the heart of our restaurant, the safety, trust, and satisfaction of our guests have always been — and will always remain — our highest priorities."

While the "unfounded claims" surrounding the restaurant have posed a challenge for their team, he highlighted his gratitude towards the "overwhelming support" from the community.

He said: "We want to extend our heartfelt gratitude to our loyal customers for your trust, your understanding, and for standing by us during this difficult time. Your belief in our integrity means everything to us."

Babu also assured customers that the restaurant maintains strict cleanliness protocols, regular third-party inspections, and daily quality checks across all operations.

AsiaOne has reached out to the Singapore Food Agency for additional information.

dana.leong@asiaone.com

一名食客在实龙岗一家餐馆点的炒粿条中发现一只蟑螂，要求赔偿 5000 美元。

35岁的赛义德·拉菲迪在接受AsiaOne采访时表示，这起事件发生在8月22日，地点位于实龙岗路的Al Majlis。

他的侄女（网名 shortangryman）还在 Threads 上分享了该事件的视频片段，视频显示一只大蟑螂卡在他盘子里的炸面条之间。

据赛义德说，他已立即向工作人员报告了这只蟑螂。

赛义德说，那盘食物很快就被拿走了，工作人员甚至提出要重新做一份，但他拒绝了，因为他“知道厨房很脏”。

赛义德是一名 Grab 司机，他说事发后他联系了 Al Majlis 餐厅提供反馈，并于 9 月 9 日与餐厅老板会面。

会面期间，餐馆老板问赛义德希望就此事获得多少赔偿，赛义德回答说：5000美元。

Syed告诉AsiaOne：“他说他会和他的合伙人商量一下，之后再回复我。”

当被问及为何在事件发生 4 周后才决定上传视频时，赛义德表示，他向议会提出的 5000 美元请求没有得到任何回应，因此决定“寻求公众意见”。

“我们绝不容忍恶意指控”：议会

针对 Threads 上的这篇疯传的帖子，Al Majlis 表示，食品安全和顾客信任是他们的首要任务，他们“欢迎真诚的反馈，但绝不容忍恶意指控”。

餐厅表示：“这一说法是在所谓事件发生很久之后提出的，并且与对方提出的经济要求同时发生。”餐厅还补充说，他们的法律团队已经介入，并且“保留对虚假或诽谤性言论采取法律行动的一切权利”。

Al Majlis Serangoon Road 的总经理 Niyas Babu 在接受 AsiaOne 采访时表示，该餐厅“非常重视所有食品安全问题”。

他补充道：“这份报告是在对方提出未支付款项和威胁公开曝光其个人信息的情况下提交的。目前此事正在调查中，我们正在全力配合有关部门的工作，并寻求适当的建议。”

巴布还证实，赛义德和一名身份不明的人在 9 月 9 日的会面中要求赔偿 5000 美元“损失”，但他拒绝了他们的提议。

“我们每天在店铺开门和关门前都会进行内部卫生检查。我们按照合同规定定期进行第三方检查和处理，目前没有发现任何问题或疑虑。”

Syed 和他的侄女还在 Al Majlis 的 Google 评论上留下了一星评价，Syed 声称该餐厅没有认真对待此事，“就这样敷衍了事”了。

餐厅回应称：“我们正在积极保存所有相关证据，包括监控录像，并正在咨询法律顾问。”同时，餐厅也敦促公众不要传播未经证实的说法，因为此事正在通过正当的法律渠道解决。

根据 AsiaOne 的核实，Al Majlis 在 Google 评论上共有 529 条评论，评分为 4.5 星。

对忠实客户的感激之情

巴布还告诉AsiaOne，Al Majlis始终坚定不移地致力于提供符合最高质量、安全和卫生标准的食物。

“在我们餐厅，顾客的安全、信任和满意度始终是——并将永远是——我们最重要的优先事项。”

尽管围绕这家餐厅的“毫无根据的指控”给他们的团队带来了挑战，但他强调了对社区“压倒性支持”的感激之情。

他说：“我们衷心感谢忠实顾客的信任、理解和支持，感谢你们在这个艰难时期与我们并肩前行。你们对我们诚信的信任对我们至关重要。”

巴布还向顾客保证，餐厅在所有运营环节都保持严格的清洁规程、定期第三方检查和日常质量检查。

AsiaOne已联系新加坡食品局以获取更多信息。

dana.leong@asiaone.com