Diner pays $6.70 for 2 meat dishes and rice at Canberra stall, calls meal ‘horrible’
A diner was charged $6.70 for two meat dishes and rice at a mixed rice stall in a Canberra coffee shop and questioned the price.
In a post on the Complaint Singapore Facebook group on Sept 10, the user said they had ordered two meat dishes — a chicken drumstick and about five small pieces of meat — with rice for $6.70.
The user described the meal as “horrible” and complained about the small portion, adding that the cashier did not provide a receipt at first and only manually entered the transaction after they asked for one.
The mixed rice stall is at a coffee shop at Block 105 Canberra Street.
The user also posted photos of the meal and receipt. The receipt showed that the three items ordered cost $3.50, $2.50 and 70 cents respectively.
Meat dishes both ‘premium dishes’
When Shin Min Daily News visited the stall, a female employee said the incident took place on Sept 8, when the customer ordered a herbal chicken leg, fermented black bean pork and white rice.
She explained that both meat dishes were higher-priced “premium dishes”, costing $3.50 and $2.50 respectively.
“But (the customer) thought they would be charged according to the usual price for two meat dishes, so there was some misunderstanding,” she said.
Shin Min observed that the stall had a price list displayed, stating that two meat dishes cost at least $3.50, while its premium dishes ranged from $2 to $5 per serving.
The employee added that staff would normally inform customers beforehand to ensure they know which dishes are more expensive.
However, the employee who served the customer had only recently started working there, and as it was also during the dinner peak period, may have forgotten to inform them.
Regarding the receipt, the employee said the receipt machine had a simple setup and could only display the prices, rather than list the individual food items.
“Most customers don’t want receipts, but whenever a customer asks for one, we will provide it,” she said.
‘This is the norm’: Netizens
The Facebook post sparked discussion among netizens, with many saying it was reasonable for the meal to cost more as the customer had chosen two meat dishes.
“Drumstick $3.50, meat $2.50, rice $0.70 loh. This is the norm for 2026,” a commenter wrote.
The original poster replied: “Yes, drumstick, but the drumstick is too small.”
“Choose all meat sure expensive la,” another said.
Others defended the coffee shop stalls, saying they have to cover costs such as rent, wages and utilities.
However, some agreed with the customer.
One suggested that he opt for alternatives such as chicken rice or nasi lemak instead.
Another said they also found the meal expensive compared with other mixed rice stalls.
“Nowadays, food is pricey and portion is small,” a user wrote.
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