'Charging for tap water': Netizens list pet peeves of dining out in Singapore

Redditor IamFanboy is not a happy customer, especially when it comes to eating out at a restaurant in Singapore.

Last Friday (Sept 29), they headed to Reddit to vent out their frustrations with regard to the negative aspects of the experience.

IamFanboy specifically pointed to the standard of F&B service in general and described it as "sad".

Some of us may be familiar with the points that were listed — ordering of meals via QR code and minimal interactions with the waiters.

"It's actually crazy how this 'service' can be charged for 10 per cent of the total bill," IamFanboy added, referring to the service charge. 

Eating at a restaurant in Singapore is sad
byu/IamFanboy insingapore

During their lengthy complaint, IamFanboy compared how restaurant service is like in Singapore vis-a-vis that of other nations.

While water is a chargeable item at some restaurants here, the Reddit user mentioned how this is not the case in South Korea and Japan.

"When you sit down, the waiter immediately brings you a jug of ice water and cups," IamFanboy added.

Ditto for some European countries too.

Sticking to the service in Western restaurants, IamFanboy added how every table order of food "will always" be served together.

This is to avoid having situations where diners sit and awkwardly wait for their remaining dishes when seated at the same table.

IamFanboy seemed clearly agitated by the level of service provided by sit-down restaurants in Singapore.

They claimed that "better" service could be found from a roadside stall in Japan or South Korea.

"I'm not advocating for a tipping culture but seriously, some staff [in Singapore] could really use a wake-up call," they said.

Opinions within the comments section were varied.

A few Redditors agreed that IamFanboy had every right to feel aggrieved by the charging of tap water at restaurants.

Others didn't agree with these sentiments, claiming that eating out in Singapore isn't all that bad of an experience.

"You going to the wrong restaurants bro," one netizen said.

Another Reddit user mentioned that good service could still be found in Singapore restaurants, whether it be free bread baskets from Italian food joints or free banchan (Korean side dishes) at Korean establishments.

ALSO READ: 'It doesn't matter': Young adults discuss navigating food restrictions when eating out with friends

amierul@asiaone.com

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