Singaporean Woman Sparks Debate After Rejecting First Date at Lau Pa Sat
A Singaporean woman has gone viral after she revealed she turned down a man for suggesting Lau Pa Sat as the venue for their first date. The controversy unfolded when Naomi, who goes by @naomiblackk on Instagram, shared her stance on the popular hawker centre in a series of Instagram stories.
“Anyone who invites me to Lau Pa Sat is getting cancelled, it’s just plain rude lol. I don’t care how handsome you are. I don’t give chances, this is not charity,” she wrote, alongside screenshots of her chat with the prospective date. In the conversation, Naomi dismissed the man’s suggestion to meet at Lau Pa Sat, questioning his choice of location for a date.
She later added that after “reflecting,” she did not feel the alignment she was seeking and chose to end the conversation. The man responded lightly, asking if his restaurant pick had really been “that bad.”
Online Reactions and Backlash
Her posts quickly spread across social media, sparking heated debate. Some praised her confidence in being upfront about her standards, while many others accused her of being unreasonable and dismissive. A number of commenters quipped that the man had “dodged a bullet,” suggesting Naomi’s attitude was a red flag.
Others mocked her by mimicking her words: “Anyone who reacts this way to a 1st date at Lau Pa Sat is getting cancelled. It’s just plain rude lol 😂. Idc how chio u r. I don’t give chances. This is not a charity.”
Naomi responded to the criticism, saying she did not understand the backlash from “online trolls and insecure men,” insisting she was merely expressing her personal preference. She clarified that she occasionally visits Lau Pa Sat with tourist friends but does not enjoy eating at hawker centres regularly, describing the food as “unhealthy in general.”
A Viral Talking Point on Dating Standards
Amid the backlash, Naomi cheekily suggested that Lau Pa Sat and the Singapore Tourism Board should collaborate with her to create a guide on first-date etiquette.
The incident has since fuelled wider conversations about dating expectations, class perceptions, and the role of food culture in Singapore’s dating scene. While some see Naomi’s rejection as an example of being clear about personal standards, others view it as a reflection of entitlement.
Either way, the episode has made Lau Pa Sat—best known for its satay and iconic city-centre hawker ambience—a surprising new symbol in Singapore’s dating debates.