Elderly woman complains about bones in chicken rice; vendor says they were complimentary
A 70-year-old woman bought chicken rice for her husband, only to be dismayed by the excessive number of bones in the meal, leading her to suspect that the vendor was trying to pass off unwanted parts.
The stall owner defended herself, explaining that the bones came from two complimentary chicken necks that were included with the order.
Madam Zhuang told Shin Min Daily News that the incident happened on Feb 23 at around 12:30pm when she purchased a chicken leg rice set from the Ah Five Hainanese Chicken Rice stall at Block 158, Ang Mo Kio.
After bringing the food home, she got busy with housework and only noticed the issue after her husband had finished eating.
"When I went to clear the container, I saw a pile of bones inside. It was obvious that there were two chicken neck bones. My husband is not picky - he eats whatever I buy - but this time, he was particularly frustrated because there were too many bones, making it difficult to enjoy the meal. He told me not to buy from this stall again."
Madam Zhuang said she immediately brought the container back to the stall to confront the owners, who informed her that the chicken necks were a complimentary addition.
"Most customers don't eat chicken necks, so why was the owner so generous? More importantly, did they ask for my consent before 'gifting' them? In the past, the chicken leg always covered the rice, but this time, why were there chicken necks included? Was the chicken leg too small, or was there not enough meat?"
She added that the stall owner offered to refund her $6.50, but she declined and chose to leave instead.
The stall owner refuted any claims of short-changing customers, stating that the chicken leg portion was not reduced.
Stall co-owner Ms Li, 48, insisted that they had provided a full portion of chicken leg before adding the chicken necks as a complimentary item.
She explained that parts like chicken necks, tails, and feet are usually used for making soup, but since some customers enjoy eating them, they occasionally give them away for free.
"These parts are complimentary and not charged. We've been running this stall for over three years, and this is the first time we've encountered such a complaint."
Ms Li also shared that when Madam Zhuang confronted them, the meal had already been eaten, but she still offered a refund to settle the matter. However, the elderly woman angrily walked away.
"Running a business is about maintaining harmony. She's an elderly customer, and if she returns in the future, we will still serve her."