S'pore TikToker finds worm-like object in pasta, restaurant claims it's fried prawn: 'Am I being gaslighted?'
A TikToker became concerned after finding a worm-like object in her nearly finished plate of pasta — an item the restaurant later claimed was actually a piece of fried prawn and part of the dish's ingredients.
In a video posted on Jan 12, the TikToker said she was convinced the object was a worm and questioned whether the restaurant was trying to "gaslight" her.
The post has garnered over 41,800 views, 1,010 reactions and 36 comments.
In her video, the TikToker recounts noticing a worm-like object and immediately flagging it to a waiter, who claimed it came from a vegetable in the dish. The TikToker responded by asking: "Got vegetable meh?"
The waiter later returned with a member of the kitchen staff, who explained that the object was not a worm but udang goreng — fried prawn in Malay. Despite this, the restaurant replaced her dish with a new plate.
"Is it I cock eye? Is it really udang goreng?" the TikToker asked in her post. She also shared a side-by-side comparison of the worm-like object and a piece of fried prawn from the dish, highlighting what she felt were visible differences.
Despite the incident, the TikToker said she would still return to the restaurant.
"But why they trying to gaslight me," she asked.
It is unclear when or where the incident took place.
Netizens split on whether it is a worm or fried prawn
Most netizens started speculating what the worm-like object really was.
"Looks some sort like a worm," one said, while another added: "That means the vegetable is organic."
Another netizen quipped: "best protein ever."
One user compared the incident to their own experience, saying, "This is nothing compared to mine. I ever found a big fat caterpillar in my food when finishing."
"Take pictures send to SFA lor," another urged, suggesting she inform the relevant authorities.
However, some users believed it may not actually be a worm.
One pointed out that some dried prawns may contain small crustaceans that resemble worms, saying, "I find them disgusting also when I cook but idt those are worms".
Stomp has reached out to TikToker @44catt for comment.
