Man so turned off by undercooked chicken in burger from Jurong stall that he declines replacement
A man was disgusted by what he believed was an undercooked chicken patty in his burger from a food stall in the Jurong industrial area.
Stomper Weng said he visited Jalan 33 Cafe at the Smart Energy Jalan Buroh petrol kiosk on Oct 22 at around 1.15am, where he bought a chicken burger for $5.50.
‘Meat felt weird and cold’: Customer describes chicken patty
“The outside was crispy but the meat felt weird and cold,” he recalled.
“Upon looking, I saw that the whole chunk of meat was actually RAW! How can this be served?! So you just cook the outside?!”
Sharing photos showing pinkish and translucent-looking meat in his burger, Weng said he felt sick and vomited immediately after the incident.
“But luckily, I didn’t get food poisoning,” he told Stomp on Nov 11.
Weng, who visits the petrol station regularly, said he informed staff at the 24-hour cafe about the incident when he returned a week later.
He recounted: “The cook said, ‘You can come back, I make new one for you, no problem.’
“But after experiencing such standards, how will I dare to have a replacement? I also didn’t accept a refund because I think sharing this on Stomp is more worth it.”
Cafe apologises, reviews kitchen operations
In response to a Stomp query, a spokesperson for Jalan 33 Cafe said it was “deeply concerned” by the feedback.
“This clearly falls short of our standards and we sincerely apologise to the customer for the unpleasant experience,” said the spokesperson on Nov 12.
“We have initiated an immediate review of our late-night kitchen operations — including thawing times, fryer temperatures and cooking checks — and are retraining our staff.”
The cafe also requested the customer to get in touch directly for “a full refund or further support”, but Weng has declined.
“I don’t think it’s necessary as I am already posting this on Stomp and don’t need the refund,” the Stomper said.
“It’s just lucky that I discovered it early or the rawness might have landed me in hospital.”
What does pink poultry meat mean for food safety?
According to a Facebook post by the Singapore Food Agency (SFA), pink poultry meat may not necessarily mean that it is undercooked.
“Cooked poultry may remain pink due to chemical reactions that occur during cooking. When oven gases interact with haemoglobin in the meat tissues, it creates a pink colour,” the post explained.
This is especially common in poultry with thinner skins or those with less fat under their skin, which allows more oven gases to reach their flesh.
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