Chew Ming Hui, Author at Goody Feed

Quick question: Have you seen any Instagram stories of your friends at Lao You Ji Fishhead Steamboat Seafood Restaurant in the wee hours of the morning? If you answer yes, you should probably have them check if they paid for their meal that day. Last week, a couple had supper at the seafood restaurant but left without paying. Thanks to them, an employee at the restaurant might have to "eat grass" this month. Couple Dined at Seafood Restaurant Near Closing Time and Eventually Left Without Paying According to Shin Min Daily News, on 25 July, a couple ate at the Lao You Ji Fishhead Steamboat Seafood Restaurant at 4:45 am. Image: Google Maps The restaurant is located at 243 Outram Road and usually closes at 4:30 am—meaning the couple dined in at the restaurant just when it was closing. That's already enough trouble; anyone who has ever worked in the F&B industry would know this. Yet, there's an additional catch: the couple eventually left the restaurant without paying. And the unpaid bill is worth $245.60. Yes, you read that right. Some people spend that much on supper. Never eat seafood before ah? Couple Requested for Food to be Packed Before Leaving Restaurant With Unpaid Bill So, how exactly did it happen? According to 38-year-old Chen Wei (hanyu pinyin), an employee at the restaurant, the couple entered the restaurant and ordered a few signature dishes. Image: Shin Min Daily News They were out to feast—orders included the Hong Kong-style steamed Fish, Three Yolk Chinese Spinach, Steamed Ginger Chicken and two beverages. Of course, what would be a Chinese meal without some rice? The total bill for the order racked up to $245.60, mainly thanks to the steamed fish, which usually costs the whereabouts of $200 per kilogram. Although the restaurant was already closing, the chef still cooked for the couple. Chen Wei and another co-worker worked overtime to serve the couple. The hustle is the hustle. After dining for approximately an hour, the couple requested that their leftover food be packed for takeaway as they couldn't finish it. Order so much for two people, of course, cannot finish lah. Siao. Chen Wei packed the food and left the boxes on the table. The next thing she knew, the couple took the food and left the restaurant without paying the bill. There might not be such a thing as a free lunch in the world, but there seems to be a free supper. Or at least temporarily. Restaurant Employee Had to Foot the Couple's $245.60 Bill Thanks to the couple's carelessness and partly Chen Wei's own for not checking the bill, Chen Wei had to foot the couple's $245.60 bill on her own first. Well, someone's got to pay. Regardless, Chen Wei urges the couple to return to the restaurant to pay the $245.60 as soon as possible. The $245.60 dealt quite a blow to Chen Wei's pocket—her monthly salary is a mere $1,800. $245 can buy a lot of things, you know? Can buy bubble tea, some ong lye, and a faster data plan to read Goody Feed. Diners Leaving F&B Establishments Without Paying It's surprising how frequent it is to see diners leaving food establishments without paying their bills, be it out of carelessness or malice. Earlier this year, two men were arrested after getting involved in dine-and-dash incidents across five restaurants. They got more than $2,000 of free food but, of course, will be paying in other ways now that they've been arrested. Last year, we saw 16 people leave the Rasa Istimewa Waterfront Restaurant with a four-figure unpaid bill—$1,188. Unfortunately, the waterfront restaurant could not reach out to any of the 16 diners, and none returned to pay the bill either. Let's hope the couple involved in the present incident will return to pay their $245.60 bill.