Hawker Stupidities

[Ramseth]

At coffeeshops and hawker centres, if you order a bowl of soup dish (noodle soup, porridge etc.) you're most likely to be served with the spoon plunged in all the way leaving only the tip of the handle clean for grabbing. Why can't they reverse the spoon leaving the entire handle clean?

I usually don't pick a fuss, knowing that they're either stupid or couldn't care less. I just walk over to the stall and pick a fresh spoon. Sometimes some of them do ask why, and I'd tell them nicely that a spoon inserted into a soup bowl should be inserted reverse to keep the handle cleanly rested on the brim of the bowl instead of sliding down and in, defeating the purpose of a spoon.

Next time I come to eat, same thing happened again, almost whole spoon was plunged in face up and slided down to almost handle tip. Once again, I just walked over to the stall and picked up a fresh clean spoon and a pair of chopsticks. I needed the chopsticks to fish out the drowning spoon.

 

[singveld]

you dun have to buy from them if they does not meet your standard of service.

 

[Teo Kok Eng]

The server and stall owner could be 2 different persons, the server really couldn't care less. The owner may want to do it right so that he save washing an extra spoon.

 

[Ramseth]

you dun have to buy from them if they does not meet your standard of service.

Frankly, the food was cheap and good. That's why I'm not angry, just wondering why wouldn't they change and get smarter, more hygienic, even when it costs nothing, just reversing the spoon when they put it in the bowl. In fact, they save more trouble washing more spoons as hygiene conscious customers come back for second spoons.

 

[cooleo]

If they are smart they wouldn't be hawkers. As long as they can cook well, just shut up, pay up and eat!

 

[po2wq]

Frankly, the food was cheap and good. That's why I'm not angry, just wondering why wouldn't they change and get smarter, more hygienic, even when it costs nothing, just reversing the spoon when they put it in the bowl. In fact, they save more trouble washing more spoons as hygiene conscious customers come back for second spoons.

nax time, u pull a long face, wear a disgusted look, storm 2 their stall, noisily pick up a spoon (dey wil turn round n look @ u from dat noise) n den storm back 2 ur seat ...

msg shud b loud n clear ...

 

[Thick Face Black Heart]

That shows hawkers cannot be bothered about you.

When I eat at hawker centre, the hawker will never do this to my spoon because he knows I am his regular. I am also very polite to hawkers, dats why they take extra care to do my dishes well, and sometimes even bother to offer me extra pickings if there is no crowd around.

At coffeeshops and hawker centres, if you order a bowl of soup dish (noodle soup, porridge etc.) you're most likely to be served with the spoon plunged in all the way leaving only the tip of the handle clean for grabbing. Why can't they reverse the spoon leaving the entire handle clean?

I usually don't pick a fuss, knowing that they're either stupid or couldn't care less. I just walk over to the stall and pick a fresh spoon. Sometimes some of them do ask why, and I'd tell them nicely that a spoon inserted into a soup bowl should be inserted reverse to keep the handle cleanly rested on the brim of the bowl instead of sliding down and in, defeating the purpose of a spoon.

Next time I come to eat, same thing happened again, almost whole spoon was plunged in face up and slided down to almost handle tip. Once again, I just walked over to the stall and picked up a fresh clean spoon and a pair of chopsticks. I needed the chopsticks to fish out the drowning spoon.

 

[Ramseth]

That shows hawkers cannot be bothered about you.

When I eat at hawker centre, the hawker will never do this to my spoon because he knows I am his regular. I am also very polite to hawkers, dats why they take extra care to do my dishes well, and sometimes even bother to offer me extra pickings if there is no crowd around.

I'm always polite to hawkers. Never mess around with people handling what you eat.

 

[Leongsam]

Problem solved.

 

[Ramseth]

That's a Japanese spoon, with their usual penchant for modifying design to solve problem. The Japanese seldom use spoon. They have no porridge dish and their soup noodle are usually eaten by slurping the noodle with chopsticks first, then lift up the bowl to drink the soup when one's done with the noodle. The Japanese spoon was originally designed for steamboat dishes, to scoop the soup from the pot into a smaller bowl (known as cup in Japanese) then drank from the bowl without a spoon.

 

[jw5]

Nowadays, most hawkers expect us to carry our own food.
So take a tray, fill a small plate with chilli, place the spoon face down on the small plate, and carry the tray to the table.
Problem solved.

 

[Ramseth]

Nowadays, most hawkers expect us to carry our own food.
So take a tray, fill a small plate with chilli, place the spoon face down on the small plate, and carry the tray to the table.
Problem solved.

That's even worse. I never place eating utensils on trays. I carry the dish to my table, then go back to the stall to collect the utensils. You know how dirty those trays are? Being reused through the day without proper washing. Watch the cleaners collecting used trays in trolleys and returning them to stalls for reuse. I'm not blaming them or angry with them. They have to keep costs down so that prices are kept down too. We have to be aware and take care of ourselves.

 

[hairylee]

Have you ever been served with their thumb in your bowl of soup.

 

[jw5]

That's even worse. I never place eating utensils on trays. I carry the dish to my table, then go back to the stall to collect the utensils. You know how dirty those trays are? Being reused through the day without proper washing. Watch the cleaners collecting used trays in trolleys and returning them to stalls for reuse. I'm not blaming them or angry with them. They have to keep costs down so that prices are kept down too. We have to be aware and take care of ourselves.

Agree the trays are dirty. Most of the time, they are just given a cursory wipe with a rag, which is also dirty. :(

The dish is usually hot, so we need a tray. And if the spoon is on the small plate of chilli and only the tip touches the tray, should be ok right?

 

[Ramseth]

Have you ever been served with their thumb in your bowl of soup.

Yes, long brownish thumb nail in laksa as the bowl was served. I refused to pay for it and pointed out the disgust. The uncle said aiyah a little bit only nevermind. I whipped out my mobile phone and threatened to call NEA. The stallholder quicker came out and offered me a free fresh bowl. I declined, losing appetite already. I don't want to break their ricebowls too, but there're minimal hygiene practices to be observed. Nobody should be subjected to such disgusting dirt however good or cheap it is, and you can be sure I'm not going back to eat at that stall again, however cheap and good it is, though I didn't pursue the matter any further. Hope they improve to earn a hygienic and healthy living, not taking the hygiene and health of others for granted.

 

[Kid278]

I usually don't pick a fuss, knowing that they're either stupid or couldn't care less.

Fancy you picking on a hawker over how a spoon should be placed and you call that not a fuss. What then is it a fuss?

 

[Ramseth]

Fancy you picking on a hawker over how a spoon should be placed and you call that not a fuss. What then is it a fuss?

A fuss is, Ah Pek, come here, you stupid dirty pig is it? Go change a clean spoon for me! However, I nicely go to the stall and changed the spoon myself. I'm discussing this here as a matter of hygiene issue only.

 

[Kid278]

We have to be aware and take care of ourselves.

To be aware and taking care of oneself is one thing while doing it to the extent of being mysophobic is quite another altogether.

 

[Jah_rastafar_I]

A fuss is, Ah Pek, come here, you stupid dirty pig is it? Go change a clean spoon for me! However, I nicely go to the stall and changed the spoon myself. I'm discussing this here as a matter of hygiene issue only.

You are very fussy!!!!!!!!!!!:oIo::oIo::oIo:

 

[Maximilian Chua-Heng]

Adj. mysophobic - suffering from mysophobia; abnormally afraid of dirt or contamination

Thanks Kiddo. I learn a new word today.

To be aware and taking care of oneself is one thing while doing it to the extent of being mysophobic is quite another altogether.