'I shouldn't let her get away with this': Couple who left Serangoon Garden restaurant without paying expected each other to settle $269 bill

'I shouldn't let her get away with this': Couple who left Serangoon Garden restaurant without paying expected each other to settle $269 bill
A CCTV screenshot of Mr Jung (left) and his date leaving the restaurant on March 15, 2022.
PHOTO: Karen Ho

SINGAPORE - A couple on their first date at a Korean barbecue restaurant ordered $269.55 worth of food, including a pricey wagyu beef platter, but both left without paying the bill - and later insisted that the other should pay.

More than a week later, the restaurant, Pa Bul Lo Korean BBQ in Serangoon Gardens, has been unable to get the man to pay his half of the bill. The woman settled her share a few days after the date.

The owner has filed a police report and sought help from a lawyer.

The man, who wanted to be known only as Mr Jung, insisted that his date had offered the meal as a treat after she stood him up a couple of times.

"We were only (at the restaurant) for an hour, from around 7.30pm to 8.30pm," Mr Jung, a manager in his 50s, told The Straits Times on Wednesday (March 23).

"I told her, thanks for dinner, and I went outside to wait for less than five minutes while she went to the washroom.

"She came out, and I thought she (had) paid. I said goodbye and we went in different directions."

The couple had the dinner on March 15.

"She ordered an expensive beef set, and I thought she was apologetic for postponing the meet-up and was giving me a treat," added Mr Jung.

The woman paid her half of the bill on March 19 after the restaurant's owner, Madam Karen Ho, 50, told her she had filed a police report and tried to pursue the matter at the Small Claims Tribunals.

The woman told Madam Ho that Mr Jung had offered to foot the bill because he felt bad for leaving the restaurant a few times to answer calls during the date.

Read Also
Strangers offer to pick up $269 bill of couple who dined-and-dashed at Korean restaurant in Serangoon Garden
singapore
Strangers offer to pick up $269 bill of couple who dined-and-dashed at Korean restaurant in Serangoon Garden

Madam Ho told ST on Wednesday: "I believe the woman. I don't trust the guy. She was apologetic. He wasn't... The last time he talked to us, his tone made us very angry."

After 9pm on March 15, an employee told Madam Ho that the two diners had left without paying. Madam Ho tracked them down using closed-circuit television footage and contacted the woman.

The woman said the man will return to make payment.

"I waited till 9.45pm, 9.50, he didn't come," recounted Madam Ho.

The next day, Madam Ho and her husband, who oversees another branch, contacted Mr Jung.

"We talked to him nicely and asked for payment, but he laughed at us. My husband said we will make a police report. He laughed and said, 'Go call the police'," said Madam Ho.

Recounting that exchange, Mr Jung said: "I tried to explain the situation, but he refused to listen and told me to talk to the police... I waited to be contacted by the police but the owner contacted me again and said he was (advised) to sue me since this is civil case. So I told him to do so since I have not done anything wrong."

Madam Ho said she is thankful that the woman, at least, had paid her half of the bill. The owner did not wish to reveal her name as the woman had told her not to contact her or reveal her personal details after she paid her share on March 19.

Of the man, Madam Ho added: "If he is seriously willing to pay us, he should come to us in person and apologise and make payment. Then we will accept. Disappointed in him."

Read Also
singapore
'It turned out way worse': Influencer accused of doxxing men with 'sg dating adventures' Telegram group

After contacting Mr Jung on March 16, Madam Ho made a police report. She said the police later directed her to the Small Claims Tribunals.

Madam Ho said the Small Claims Tribunals could not pursue the case because she did not have the diners' full names, addresses and NRIC numbers.

Her 25-year-old daughter told her to contact law firm I.R.B Law for pro bono services.

On March 23, a lawyer with the firm contacted Madam Ho and said he will send Mr Jung a letter of demand.

Since the incident was made public, Mr Jung said he has received calls and messages from strangers on social media. He said the restaurant also wrote to his company to get him to pay the remaining half of the bill.

In addition, a stranger called his ex-wife on Wednesday morning and referred to a video of their son, who is less than a year old.

Mr Jung said: "I have a YouTube page with videos of my son. My ex-wife said the caller mentioned our son, and told her to remind me to pay the bill.

"(For the) bill, I need to pay, it is not a matter. I can pay easily. But I should not let the woman (his date) get away with this."

Madam Ho said that in her 25 years in the food and beverage sector, this is her first encounter with customers who left without paying. Her outlet in Serangoon Gardens was opened in 2020.

"My daughter advised me to tell patrons to order, (and) then make payment at the counter. But we are not a fast-food outlet... We (have) told our staff to be more careful," she added.

Mr Dellen Soh, vice-president of the Restaurant Association of Singapore, said people in Singapore are generally civilised, with only a minority running off without paying.

Mr Soh is also the chairman and chief executive of Minor Food Singapore, which oversees the Xin Wang Hong Kong Cafe chain.

He added: "To prevent such incidents from occurring, our 24-hour outlet has a QR-code ordering system with upfront payment. Customers have to pay before the order is relayed to the kitchen."

This article was first published in The Straits TimesPermission required for reproduction.

homepage

trending

trending
    'We must be quietly confident to handle emerging threats': Defence Minister Chan Chun Sing on SAF's operational readiness
    Critical infrastructure in Singapore under attack by cyber espionage group: Shanmugam
    314 suicides reported in Singapore in 2024, remains leading cause of youth deaths
    Woman and cabby taken to hospital after vehicle pile-up in City Hall area
    Singapore car enters Causeway bus lane, causes multiple-vehicle collision
    School van in JB overturns after hitting uncovered manhole, 16 students injured
    Sex first, then you can sell my flat: Women property agents fend off indecent proposals and harassment
    'Reflecting our shared pride and collective spirit': Singapore rolls out National Day-themed trains and stations for 60th birthday
    Singapore travel company responds after criticisms over alleged planning and safety lapses on Madagascar expedition
    'Absolutely not okay': New auto pet washer at Holland Drive draws concern from netizens, SPCA
    5 foreigners charged over scheme to get arrested to prolong stay in Singapore and sell sex drugs
    'May you find rainbows in your skies': Outpouring of support for Jetstar Asia staff as closure looms

Singapore

Singapore
    • 'I worry for my kids': Loan sharks harass woman with funeral wreaths after friend allegedly uses her details
    • 15 people under investigation for sharing Singpass credentials and facilitating scams
    • Mm2 Asia considering closing Cathay Cineplexes amid millions of dollars in debt
    • 'Hiding behind gangster-style bravado': Debt collection firm responds after staff member attacked with golf club
    • Police investigating 93 people, including 13-year-old, for unlicensed moneylending activities
    • Singapore Zoo breeds critically endangered Philippine crocodile for the first time
    • Fatal abuse of Myanmar maid in Bishan: Traffic Police officer sentenced to 10 years' jail
    • What is the best way to meet the people's needs? SM Lee, Jamus Lim debate COE scheme
    • NEA monitoring E. coli at Sentosa after elevated bacteria levels delay World Aquatics events
    • 'Everyone's time is respected': ComfortDelGro to introduce new taxi cancellation, waiting fee policy

Entertainment

Entertainment
    • 'To a lifetime of side quests together': Chen Xi marries non-celeb Japanese girlfriend
    • 'There's no one whose kin doesn't die': Jet Li reveals his thoughts on death, why he doesn't attend funerals, daughter being suicidal
    • 'My grandma and mum's recipe': Li Nanxing collaborates with Nan Yang Dao for hae bee hiam dishes
    • Video-taking ban at J-rock band My First Story's debut Singapore show results in superb concert experience
    • Jimmy Fallon shocked by The Late Show's cancellation, voices support for Stephen Colbert
    • The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is coming to an end
    • Simon Cowell to star in new reality show for Netflix
    • Coldplay might have exposed tech CEO's alleged affair during concert
    • North Korean defectors make debut in new K-pop boy band
    • John Malkovich's scenes cut from The Fantastic Four: First Steps

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
    • Blue Bottle Coffee opens cafe in Orchard Road, fans can expect exclusive menu items and more
    • Life-sized animatronics, 22 immersive zones and more: First look at the new Singapore Oceanarium
    • Asia's 50 Best Bars 2025: 5 Singapore bars make the list, a drop from last year's 11
    • Malaysian watch brand pays tribute to king of fruits with durian-inspired timepiece
    • Celebrate SG60: National Day promotions across Singapore
    • Just opened July 2025: New restaurants, cafes and bars in Singapore
    • Why are we still working while sick? (And how to actually thrive at work)
    • Singapore’s millionaires chase longevity and well-being as latest must-haves
    • Lion cub cuddles on offer with afternoon tea in China
    • Men jailed for felling Britain's iconic 'Sycamore Gap' tree

Digicult

Digicult
    • Slim, sleek, but slightly too short-lived: Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge review
    • World's best Dota 2 teams to compete for $1m prize pool in Singapore in November
    • 'Give a positive review': Hidden AI prompt found in academic paper by NUS researchers
    • 'Report 1 shop, another 10 appear': Hoyo Fest artists on copyright struggles
    • NTU penalises 3 students over use of AI tools; they dispute university's findings
    • Australia social media teen ban software trial organisers say the tech works
    • Disney, Universal sue image creator Midjourney for copyright infringement
    • Initiative by IMDA, AI Verify Foundation tests AI accuracy, trustworthiness in real-world scenarios
    • Under siege? Helldivers 2's latest city to be invaded by aliens could be spoof of Singapore
    • Honor 400 Series launches in Singapore with first free in-device AI image-to-video tool

Money

Money
    • Up 4.3%: Singapore's economy grew in Q2 despite US tariff fears
    • US Senate passes aid, public broadcasting cuts in victory for Trump
    • Beneath China's resilient economy, a life of pay cuts and side hustles
    • France's PM wants to scrap 2 public holidays to help fix government finances
    • Retiring OCBC chief Helen Wong drives synergies among markets, business units, bank insiders say
    • Trump sets 19% tariff on Indonesia goods in latest deal, EU readies retaliation
    • US planes, cars and drinks on EU list for potential tariffs
    • China suffers $9.7b in losses from natural disasters in H1 2025
    • Best credit card promotions in Singapore (July 2025): Citibank, DBS, HSBC, UOB and more
    • Best bank offers in Singapore (July 2025): 50% cashback on public transit with Amex, win Business Class flights with HSBC and more

Latest

Latest
  • Australia delivers Abrams tanks to Ukraine for war with Russia
  • Israel will not renew visa of top UN humanitarian official
  • Trump says he thinks 5 jets were shot down in India-Pakistan hostilities
  • Federal judge blocks enforcement of Trump's order on ICC
  • Damage mounts in South Korea as torrential rains enter 4th day
  • Trump's new Alcatraz prison could cost $2.5b, Axios reports
  • Blast at Los Angeles sheriff's facility kills 3 deputies
  • Cardinal brings aid to Gaza after Israeli strike on Catholic church
  • Israel's Netanyahu called Pope Leo after Gaza church strike, Vatican says

In Case You Missed It

In Case You Missed It
  • Thai woman allegedly extorts $15m from senior Buddhist monks over 3 years, gambles away almost everything
  • I lost my daughter to Kpod addiction: Father of 19-year-old shares heartbreak and lessons
  • China mum jailed for selling 2 sons for over $14k to tip livestreamers, buy clothes
  • Organised crime groups pushing drug-laced vapes in Asia including Singapore: UN
  • Malaysian man strikes $4m lottery after betting on his, girlfriend's IC numbers for 3 years
  • Singaporean who defaulted on NS obligations used fake Malaysian passports at checkpoints over 800 times
  • JB mum forgets baby in car during shopping trip; cops, locksmith rescue infant
  • Lurid tale of China's cross-dressing 'red uncle' goes viral online
  • Climbers battle torrential waters after flash floods hit Mount Kinabalu; all 155 persons safe, says park
This website is best viewed using the latest versions of web browsers.