Diner slams tray, breaks bowl at popular MacPherson Teochew Minced Meat Noodles stall after hawker ran out of pork lard 

A bowl of bak chor mee, with its springy noodles topped with crackling pork lard bits, makes for a humble yet heavenly culinary delight.

But one diner unleashed hell on his bowl of food over the missing pork cubes from his go-to minced meat noodles stall.

Aloysius Tan, who runs the MacPherson Teochew Minced Meat Noodles stall in Toa Payoh, took to Facebook on Tuesday (Aug 8) to share this nightmare experience. 

The post has since been removed. 

The 25-year-old said that the diner in question had patronised his stall half an hour before closing.

Describing the man as a regular customer, Tan said: "When we were going to be closed in 20 mins' time, we ran out of pork lard [for the customer's] yellow mee soup. He went to his seat, ate a bit, came back and asked for pork lard.

"We told him we ran out because we were near closing time and he headed back to his seat, grouchy."

In CCTV footage that Tan included in the Facebook post, it showed the customer bringing the bowl of uneaten noodles to the tray return point, reported 8days. 

Dressed in a grey T-shirt, he was seen tossing his tray and bowl at the tray return point - before stomping away and muttering to himself.

His meltdown caused a huge spillage at the tray return point and breakage to the hawker's bowl.

"What did the tray and bowl do to you bro? The cleaner aunties then will need to clean up the mess. $4.50 noodles need like that ah? Aiyo," added Tan.

In the comments, one netizen felt that Tan should have "stand by" more pork lard for his customers.

But responding to the comment, the young hawker said patrons should not have the mentality that pork lard is an "entitlement" since it's "exhausting" to prepare the ingredient.

He added: "Easy to eat. Many people want. But to fry and cook? You willing to do?

"25-year-old here. You want your son/daughter to take up this trade also?"

Tan also responded to a comment on why he couldn't set aside some pork lard for the regular customer, 8days reported.

"You need to understand this. This is not an office whereby I can save a file or slip the document somewhere to keep for him. It's [kitchen service]," he said.

"When it's busy, it gets sold out, means it's sold out. We cannot assume a regular will come every single day."

Tan also unapologetically commented on his Facebook post that "hawkers don't deserve such regulars".

"Sorry, I don't think the mindset of shouldn't shame should be taken into account anymore in 2023. Cameras are everywhere now. I chose this action to post here, I'll leave it here as it is," he said.

This article has been edited for clarity.

ALSO READ: Hawker accuses diners of 'screaming' and shaming his staff over request for extra bowls

chingshijie@asiaone.com