Bukit Timah restaurant turns chaos into win after power trips kill air-con
A fully booked Sunday lunch at Hapiha Mediterranean Taverna on Aug 17 nearly turned into a nightmare when the power tripped twice, knocking out both of the restaurant's air-conditioners.
The outage left the enclosed space hot and stifling just as guests were seated for a surprise 60th birthday party.
Stomper Ali, whose husband Klevis Shima is the owner and chef of the restaurant in Ridgewood Condominium, told Stomp their team had been preparing since 7.30am.
"At around 11.30am everything was ready, and it was beautiful!" she said.
"Guests arrived and were complimenting how nice and hidden the place was."
But chaos struck minutes later.
In a TikTok video that has since garnered over 14,200 views, Mr Shima shared how the tripped power left them 'in panic mode'.
"Both my air-cons gone, totally gone," he said.
Despite the heat, diners chose to stay.
"The guests were chit-chatting, laughing, having fun. When they sang happy birthday, they also sang 'aircon'," Mr Shima recalled with a laugh.
He gave a shoutout to Lion City Aircon's 'handsome ang moh guy' who rushed over with two portable units.
Good food and wine, including Hapiha's mezza and meat platters, also kept spirits high.
Shima later admitted the stress got to him: "My wife told me I was shouting at my team and her. I owe all of them a public apology. I'm so sorry guys."
Ali added that the family has been grateful for the support.
"We thought guests would be screaming at us, but instead, they were very understanding," she said.
"Hot and sweaty, everyone could have left - but instead, they stayed, neighbours lent us fans, and our team kept the food, wine, and laughter flowing.
"I hope this episode highlights the kindness and community spirit in Singapore, even in stressful moments."
