Dear readers, amidst the higher cost of living here, I believe many of us have experienced how some food stalls have attempted to keep pace with higher costs of businesses, other than specifically increasing the food prices. Here are some of the practices:
- Reduced portion of food despite price staying the same: shrinkflation
- Inconsistent pricing of random mixed vegetable dishes
In recent days, I seem to have experienced a new tactic by a food stall operator, who seem very eager to cut off some costs.
I ordered porridge from a porridge stall in my neighbourhood and this stall is one which I seldom patronise since I don’t really have porridge as meals.
I ordered for meat and egg porridge from the stall.
While cooking my porridge, the stall assistant suddenly turned to me and said “You don’t want meat right?”. I was surprised and shocked at her enquiry, for firstly, I did not make this request and secondly, I thought to myself: what is a meat and egg porridge without meat? I politely asserted that I wanted meat for my porridge.
Then, after the porridge was ready, I observed that the stall assistant only put one or two of the common condiments that normally go with the porridge and I had to come in and let her know that I need the other condiments like the basic sauce and garlic. If I did not specify, the stall assistant will not have included these condiments into the porridge!
It is very obvious that the stall assistant was trying to cut the stall’s cost of ingredients but this is simply a bit too much for me as the stall was doing this via depriving the basic food order of the customer in an unscrupulous way.
The stall was being active in ways that it could cut costs like asking me in a way that assumed that I did not want meat for my porridge. And at the same time, the stall was being or pretended to be passive in ways that I could save costs as well: e.g. putting only a few condiments and only other condiments if you have insisted!
It was not surprising that the porridge bought was very diluted, with little rice and lots of water.
I will not patronise and stay clear of this porridge stall and it will be very sad for the food scene in Singapore if more food stalls here succumb to such unscrupulous methods in a bid to cut costs.
As a result of the increasing costs of living here, I have identified some food stalls whom I have initially loved for their food but have since stayed away.
It is really not easy to find good and value-for-money meals these days!
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