A Vietnamese restaurant chain, An La Ghien-Authentic Vietnamese Cuisine, has responded to criticism over its S$19.90 buffet promotion, which limits customers to a single order and operates during off-peak hours from 2pm to 4pm.
The promotion, launched in April 2025, offers over 300 dishes at three of its outlets for S$19.90 per person, but comes with several conditions.
Customers can only dine between 2pm and 4pm, must have a minimum of three diners per table, are restricted to placing just one order, and face additional charges for leftover food.
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Restaurant’s S$19.90 Buffet Promotion Sparks Online Controversy
These conditions have triggered negative feedback online, with several one-star reviews appearing on the restaurant’s Geylang outlet page.
Despite these recent criticisms, the Lorong 27 Geylang location maintains a 4.5-star rating across more than 1,900 Google reviews.
One customer complained in Vietnamese that the single-order limitation creates a difficult dining experience.
If diners order too little initially, they won’t be satisfied but must pay extra to order more dishes à la carte. Conversely, ordering too much risks incurring food wastage penalties, making the meal “stressful”.
The restaurant has hit back at what it describes as a “wave” of coordinated negative reviews.
According to a Facebook post, these reviews came from a group of four potential customers who inquired about the buffet on 10 Apr 2025 but left without dining after learning about the conditions.
“In F&B, we know we can’t please everyone, but at the very least, there must be mutual respect and fairness between business and customers,” the chain stated on its social media page.
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Owner Explains Buffet Restrictions and Business Strategy
Restaurant owner Chen, 36, explained to Shin Min Daily News that the promotion’s conditions serve specific business purposes.
The single-order restriction helps kitchen operations run more efficiently.
“There are more than 300 items on the promotional menu, and the chef needs time to cook. By restricting customers to one order, the kitchen will only need to prepare ingredients once and can serve customers more quickly,” Chen said.
She said that the S$19.90 price point generates minimal profit, and the three-diner minimum requirement exists so that “at least [they] won’t incur a loss”.
The 2pm to 4pm dining window targets slower business periods. Chen explained the promotion aims to attract students and working adults in the area, offering them Vietnamese cuisine at an affordable price during off-peak hours.
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Regarding the controversial leftover fee, Chen clarified that it exists to prevent waste.
“Some people are greedy for ‘buffets’ and order a lot (of food), but in the end, they can’t finish the food, and some food is even left untouched. If this happens, we will charge according to the original price of the leftovers,” she explained.
The promotion continues to be available at three An La Ghien outlets despite the mixed reception it has received online.
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