A customer visited Ha-Jun Korean, a Korean restaurant at Clementi Mall and was horrified to find a whole cockroach inside her bowl of army stew.
The customer, identified as Ms Lee, a 30-year-old research student, shared her shocking experience with Shin Min Daily News. She noticed what appeared to be a strand of hair on the beef slices while slurping the soup. To investigate further, she moved the pieces around and was appalled to discover that it was actually a cockroach.
Understandably disgusted, Ms Lee immediately lost her appetite and notified the restaurant staff about the disturbing discovery. The staff offered to prepare a fresh bowl of army stew for her, but she declined and decided to leave the establishment.
Ms Lee expressed her dissatisfaction with the staff’s response, claiming they appeared indifferent and did not apologize promptly. However, they did reimburse her S$10 as compensation for the incident.
When the manager finally addressed the issue, they assured Ms Lee that if she experienced any health concerns, they would cover the cost of her medical expenses. However, when she requested a written statement from the staff, they refused, leading her to leave the restaurant.
Ms Lee also mentioned that although the manager claimed regular disinfection of the premises, she remained concerned about food safety.
Upon interviewing the restaurant staff, Shin Min Daily News discovered that Ms Chan, one of the managers, acknowledged the restaurant’s negligence regarding the cockroach incident. They promptly refunded Ms Lee and offered to serve her another bowl of noodles, which she declined, as stated previously.
Ms Chan clarified that they had advised Ms Lee to visit a doctor, assuring her that the restaurant would bear the medical expenses regardless of any health issues. However, Ms Lee insisted on receiving a certificate, and the staff could only communicate with her through WhatsApp, using text messages as a record.
Ms Chan emphasized that the restaurant undergoes regular pest control measures and is thoroughly cleaned before opening and after closing to ensure a clean environment for their customers.