A Chinese cuisine restaurant chain in Singapore has come under fire for allegedly excluding English translations from some of its menu options on the Grab app, with netizens commenting that the practice is “unacceptable” and “alienating”.
The restaurant, So Do Fun, which offers authentic Sichuan with three outlets in Singapore, was called out in an April 3 Reddit post for only having menu options in Chinese.
A screenshot shared by the Redditor showed multiple dish options listed in Chinese.
Speaking to Stomp, the Redditor recounted that they came across the listing while trying to order sliced fish soup on the Grab app. They had patronised the restaurant at Waterway Point on a previous occasion.
Although the main menu on the app was in English, customisation options for certain dishes were entirely in Chinese.
As the Redditor could not understand the language, they said they were surprised by the situation, adding that they had expected Grab to require translations from restaurant partners.
“I feel that this can be quite alienating to those who don’t understand the language, and goes against the spirit of multiculturalism,” the Redditor explained, stressing the importance of “creating unity and shared spaces”.
The user recalled encountering similar situations in the past, citing restaurants in the Bugis area.
