The owner of Hup Chong Yong Tau Foo, located in Toa Payoh, has said that their family have been “deeply hurt” by an online commentary criticising its pricing, just one month before it closes down for good.
In a Facebook post on Thursday (Dec 26), they wrote that the piece, published on Christmas Eve by citizen journalism site Stomp, “turned what should have been a Merry Christmas to the worst Christmas ever in our life”.
In the commentary, the writer — an assistant editor at Stomp — criticised the stall’s perceived high pricing, and also had harsh words for the reasons behind their impending closure.
“It’s interesting that Hup Chong’s owner blamed competition in the area and work-from-home culture for a dip in business, but seemed to utterly lack self-reflection,” one line stated.
The writer said she was charged $9.20 for her bowl, but did not indicate the number of ingredients she had picked.
“Having braced myself before ordering, I was not shocked when I was charged $9.20 for my meal — though my family and colleagues were when I told them,” she wrote.
‘Shocked and saddened’
In the response on Dec 26 posted by Hup Chong on its Facebook page, the owner expressed regret in telling the family’s aged matriarch about the negative commentary, as it left her “shocked and saddened”.
“My mother is now 80 years old. She worked until her 70s before she could retire. She often told me that although she was tired and never became rich, she was proud that she could raise her children by continuing our family’s hawker legacy.”
