In a baffling incident that has sparked a wave of outrage on social media, a Singaporean man has taken to Facebook to expose what he believes to be excessive pricing at a local coffee shop in Punggol. The dish in question is the commonly enjoyed "economical bee hoon" (fried noodles), which he and many others feel is no longer economical at all.

On September 25th, Poon Man Loong shared his dismay about the S$7.70 charge for his mother’s bee hoon, which included basic ingredients like fishcake, egg, vegetables, and tofu. Accompanied by a photo of the dish presented in a styrofoam container, Mr. Poon’s post alerted fellow diners to be cautious when ordering.

To emphasize his point, Mr. Poon detailed that his mother had handed over a S$10 bill and received only S$2.30 in change, indicating she was charged correctly but still far beyond what the dish was worth. Frustratingly, when she sought clarification from the stall staff on the price, they reportedly “simply ignored her,” leading Mr. Poon to question both the pricing and the service quality at the eatery.

Mr. Poon disclosed his plans to confront the management at the Kopitiam located at 108 Punggol Field as soon as possible. He remarked candidly that the dish tasted "normal," devoid of any extravagant ingredients or effort worthy of a Michelin star chef, raising questions about its pricing.

The trend of inflated costs for simple local dishes has garnered attention, as a few years ago, such economical bee hoon could be purchased for as little as S$2.40, increasing gradually to S$3 or S$3.50 in recent years. Commenters on Mr. Poon’s post have echoed similar sentiments, with many agreeing that the price is unreasonably high.

One user recounted his own troubling experience with a different dish at a nearby stall, where he was charged S$9.80 for a modest meal and also felt ignored when questioning the price. Another commenter noted that rudeness seems to prevail in customer service interactions, suggesting it acts as a deterrent to customers who might challenge inflated prices.

In the wake of this incident, many are urging diners to inquire about the pricing of food items before placing their orders to avoid shocking bills.

As the conversation around this incident unfolds, The Independent Singapore has reached out to both Mr. Poon and the Kopitiam for further comments, raising anticipation about possible changes or clarifications from the establishment in response to the growing customer dissatisfaction. What’s next for coffee shop dining in Singapore? Stay tuned!