Customer complains about $8.20 'cai fan', stall owner says prices clearly displayed

A customer had a bone to pick with a 'cai fan' stall at Yew Tee MRT station after he was charged $8.20 for his meal. 

The angry diner recently took to Facebook to ask if the price of his meal was reasonable, Shin Min Daily News reported on Wednesday (March 6). 

A photo of his 'cai fan' shows that he had ordered pork rib, lady's finger and tau pok. 

When a reporter from Shin Min Daily News visited the stall, the owner surnamed Zhou gave the price breakdown of each dish the customer had ordered. 

He explained that the pork rib was $4, while the rice, lady's finger and the tau pork cost 70 cents, $2 and $1.50 respectively. 

The 'cai fan' stall owner also acknowledged that his dishes are pricier due to the stall's high rental cost. 

"The prices of our dishes are displayed clearly. If customers find them expensive, they can choose cheaper alternatives, such as the $1 potato or vegetables, or the $1.50 minced meat dishes," Zhou said. 

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When customers opt for takeaway, there is a surcharge of about $1.

This is because most customers who order takeaway often order more than one portion, he explained.

"If they want a single portion they can inform my staff, the price is the same as dine-in, but they'll have to pay 30 cents extra for takeaway packaging." 

Shin Min also spoke with other customers to get their opinion on the price of the meal in question.

One diner surnamed Xie said that $8.20 for a plate of 'cai fan' was quite expensive. 

However, the 25-year-old accountant from Malaysia also felt that the stall's high rental could have contributed to the price of the dish. 

Another customer surnamed Cai said that although the 'cai fan' stall displayed its prices, some diners might feel embarrassed about calculating the price of their meal. 

"If I were to stand in front of the stall while calculating [the price of my food], others might think that I can't afford it, or think that I'm calculative. 

"It's also not very nice to the people queueing behind me, so I often pick the dishes that I like," said the 37-year-old executive. 

READ ALSO: 'If you want to buy, then don't scold my staff': 'Cai fan' boss hasn't raised prices in 2 years but says patrons still complain

claudiatan@asiaone.com