A diner patronised a seafood restaurant with his elderly mother for a Mother’s Day celebration, and was horrified to findd a phone SIM card needle in his chilli crab, according to Shin Min Daily News.
The restaurant promptly apologized to the customer and offered a discount as a goodwill gesture. The diner, identified as Mr. Zhang, told SMDN that the incident took place on May 14 when he decided to treat his 71-year-old mother to a special Mother’s Day meal at Uncle Leong’s Signatures in FairPrice Hub, Joo Koon.
Mr. Zhang had taken advantage of an online gift voucher, opting for the one-for-one chili crab promotion. As he and his mother were enjoying their meal, he noticed something floating on the surface of the gravy just before he was about to consume it. To his shock, he discovered a 2cm-long SIM card needle.
The restaurant staff promptly replaced the dish with a fresh plate of chili crab, but the incident had already dampened Mr. Zhang’s appetite. As a result, he decided to pack the food to take away instead. Although the restaurant offered him a 20% discount, he declined since he had already used his voucher to settle the S$88 bill and had spent an additional S$29 on other items.
When Mr. Zhang sought an explanation from the chef, he did not receive a clear response. The restaurant vaguely mentioned adherence to food safety protocols during preparation. Speculations arose regarding a potential oversight during the crab’s importation or the needle being present inside the crab from the beginning.
However, Mr. Zhang pointed out that he found the needle in the gravy, suggesting it was unlikely to have originated from inside the crab. He also expressed his belief that the staff should have detected the needle during thorough checks conducted while preparing the food.
Mr. Zhang speculated that the needle might have fallen into the dish when a member of the kitchen staff was handling their SIM card. He expressed concerns about the potential consequences if either he or his mother had accidentally consumed the needle, which could have required a hospital stay or even an operation to remove it.
When approached by Shin Min, the restaurant manager, Mr. Sun Yonghua, stated that he personally apologized to the customer on the day of the incident. He further mentioned that he interviewed the kitchen staff and confirmed that no one had been using their phones, emphasizing the establishment’s strict rules against mobile phone usage during working hours. Despite reviewing CCTV footage and consulting with the staff, they were unable to determine how the needle ended up in the dish.
Acknowledging their negligence, Mr. Sun expressed regret over the incident and assured that the restaurant would exercise greater care in the future.