Limited stock: Hawker explains why bak kut teh soup not given free to every patron following complaint

It's quite common for bak kut teh stalls to provide extra soup upon request. 

Which explains why one customer was taken aback when the hawker told him he wasn't able to get a free bowl of soup after he'd ordered a braised pig's trotter set from the stall.

Upset, he took to Facebook on Tuesday (May 7) to complain about his experience. 

"Worst customer service for this Eunos Bak Kut Teh store," wrote the patron, Michael Ng.

Michael explained that he had ordered the pig's trotter set and requested for a bowl of soup on the side. 

In response, the hawker said that this wasn't possible and if Michael wanted the soup, he would have to purchase a bowl of bak kut teh. 

"Is [this] the norm?" questioned Michael, adding that he does not plan on patronising the stall ever again. 

"How much can a bowl of soup cost? Well, it is their loss. They are not the only ones selling bak kut teh around Singapore." 

Speaking to AsiaOne, Michael shared that this was not his first time purchasing food from the stall.

On previous visits, he had requested for soup and was given a bowl, no questions asked. 

"That's the reason I asked for soup and was surprised when I was rejected," he said. 

"When I order pig's trotters from other hawker centres, they normally don't mind giving me soup." 

Michael revealed that the hawker had also refunded him his money as he hadn't gotten his order at that point.

"He just told me that if I don't wish to eat, he will pay me back," Michael told us. 

"So I took back my money and ate at another stall." 

In the comments, others who have patronised the stall before shared that they too were rejected when they asked for extra soup. 

One said that he had been a regular customer until an incident where the hawker had "made noise" when he asked for a soup refill. 

Limited portions of soup: Stall owner 

In an interview with Shin Min Daily News, the stall owner, surnamed Chen, shared that due to limited portions of bak kut teh soup, she is unable to provide extra portions for customers. 

The 62-year-old hawker, who has run the business for over 40 years, revealed that she prepares a fixed amount of soup every day. 

"If water is added to bak kut teh, it will lose its taste and the original flavour of the soup," she explained. 

She added that it's not uncommon for her to refute customers' requests for more soup. 

"Most customers understand this, but we still encounter such situations." 

Speaking to Shin Min, a bak kut teh seller at Old Airport Road Food Centre, surnamed Li, shared that if customers order braised pig trotters and ask for soup, they will usually acquiesce.

They're not the only ones. Several other hawkers also shared that they would simply give in to the request. 

AsiaOne has reached out to Chen for more details. 

ALSO READ: Controversial or not? Malaysia lists bak kut teh as heritage food, sparking debate

melissateo@asiaone.com