By LIEW HANQING

YOU visit an eatery and think its food is mediocre. You go home and post a food review on your blog.

The next thing you know, the establishment's owner e-mails you, ordering you to remove the review - or face legal action.

Related link: » He complains over bad reviews, but had given some himself before

Though faced with this exact situation, food blogger Kaelyn Ong, 21, is sticking to her guns, refusing to remove a negative review of Obolo, a gourmet pastry boutique in Joo Chiat.

Miss Ong, a Nanyang Technological University student who reviews restaurants frequently on her food blog, My Food Sirens II, said she did not feel her review of Obolo was offensive.

She said that she has been blogging about food for a few months.

She wrote: 'I really wanted to like Obolo but its creations didn't impress me enough.

'After a while, the law of diminishing returns sets in and everything becomes cloyingly sweet. Definitely a case of sugar overload!'

Negative reviews, she maintained, are meant to encourage restaurants to improve.

She said: 'A lot depends on the choice of words and the tone used. It would be offensive if somebody wrote 'this sucks', or 'a moron must have created this', or 'only an idiot would eat this'.

'These phrases are very insulting and rude, and border on being a personal attack.'

So just where should bloggers who write reviews draw the line when it comes to negative reviews?

Lawyer Doris Chia said food establishments may have an avenue for legal recourse if what the blogger writes is factually untrue, especially if they have not been to the establishment.

But she said: 'The law in Singapore allows people to express their opinions, as long as they can be supported by facts.'

Tech blogger Joe Teh, 36, feels that while bloggers should be free to write about how they feel about a product, they need to be responsible.

Responsible blogging

He said: 'If they are unsure or have not tested the product or service, they should state it clearly in the blog post to avoid misunderstanding.'

He draws the line at telling readers to avoid using a product or service just based on one negative experience.

He said: 'An offensive remark, in my opinion, is one which is negative that is directed at a brand, person or establishment without basis.

'It is unavoidable that personal judgements are written in blogs, but that is the reason why readers like to read them. They would like to hear bloggers' opinions to compare them with opinions they hear elsewhere.'

He believes that companies should not go to the extent of ordering bloggers to remove postings.

'If they do that, it may backfire as most people may sympathise with the blogger,' he said.

Miss Ong agrees.

She said: 'Threatening to sue just destroys goodwill and is a complete turn-off. Why risk harming your reputation over one negative review?

'Seriously, the restaurant can't expect only positive reviews. That's just unrealistic. I think they should thank the diners for the negative feedback, find the root cause of the customer's displeasure, and improve.'

Second chance

All restaurants deserve a second chance, she added.

'If they can impress a diner the next time, they may secure a loyal diner for life. If other reviewers see how nice the management is, it will certainly create a positive impression,' she said.

Though she has also given other restaurants negative reviews, she said she has never been asked to remove any posts or been threatened with legal action.

'I wrote a negative review on a food review website about a restaurant's service,' she said.

'The owner's response was very gracious and apologetic. It left me with a good impression of their management style.

'Of course, I'm not expecting an apology every time a negative review is written. I believe food reviewers are not that superficial.'

Many popular review sites let users rate other reviewers, allowing those with less credibility to be weeded out.

It is also quite common for the management of restaurants, hotels and other establishments to respond to negative feedback on these review sites.

Netizens responding to the incident seem to agree with Miss Ong's position on reviews.

One wrote in response to Miss Ong's blog entry: 'Please keep writing your blog, keep criticising and giving due praise to restaurants, eateries, old and new in Singapore.'

Another wrote: 'Everyone is entitled to his opinions. As long as your comments are fair, and not untrue or defamatory...'

This article was first published in The New Paper.