Diner's spring rolls from Buangkok stall come wrapped with 'many surprises'
Telling porkies?
A diner ordered spring rolls from a stall at Buangkok Hawker Centre but was left disappointed in more ways than one.
Stomper ieat ishoot icomplain had visited Vietnamese food stall Petit Saigon at 70 Compassvale Bow on Jan 12, at around 6.30pm.
She ordered a plate of two fresh spring rolls for $3.90 and said they "came wrapped with many surprises" - and not the good kind.
The Stomper recounted: "Proudly advertised on its lit signboard was a photograph of two spring rolls, each having two fat, succulent prawns and green vegetables wrapped in it. I was immediately enticed to give that establishment a try.
"After waiting for 15 minutes, the hawker handed me a large plate. Sitting on it was two mini spring rolls, giving me a rude shock. I was totally not expecting such a small serving that I could swallow in just two bites!"
The Stomper said she took photos of the spring rolls with a fork and a spoon to compare the size.
She also took issue with how her food did not resemble what was pictured on the stall's signboard, adding: "What astonished me even more was that there was only one prawn in each roll! But the photograph on the signboard showed us two prawns in one roll! I was cheated of two prawns in that single transaction.
"That's not all. The spring rolls were wrapped with even more surprises because a slice of pork had been added into each spring roll and that porky information was not communicated to customers in the advertisement.
"There should be a legal fine line separating mere sales puffery and total misrepresentation of products. Photographs should illustrate what merchants are selling to us. What is the point of illustrating something that customers will not even be getting?"
The Stomper further noted that another customer had shared similar sentiments in a Google review.
"Someone had already complained in a Google review months ago about finding pork in the spring roll instead of two prawns as shown on the signboard," said ieat ishoot icomplain.
"However, when that customer asked the hawker about the discrepancies, the hawker rudely dismissed the customer.
"If a slice of pork is supposed to be part of the Vietnamese fresh spring roll that Petit Saigon is selling, then that important fact should be conveyed clearly to the diners either through photographs or even a written note.
"What happens if some diners, like a colleague of mine, cannot eat meat such as pork, beef and mutton, but only seafood?
"Hawkers should learn to advertise honestly on their signboards what diners will be really getting.
"I am buying popiah, not Popmart. Buying food in Singapore should be a straightforward affair without any surprises."
