Food is the one thing that most people are able to bond over. After all, who doesn’t love a good meal? However, it also has the capability to cause a rift, especially between passionate foodies. Worst still is when people start comparing one country’s food to another.
Food blogger and TikToker Ceddy Ang, otherwise known by his handle @CeddyOrNot accidently woke an age-old rivalry on Twitter recently. The renown foodie is currently in Singapore. Of course, he had to review their offerings and gave his opinion on them. Unfortunately, not everyone was enamoured with his honesty. Someone even accused him of being bias!
On 21st March, Ceddy shared on his socials that he had dropped by the Newton Food Centre in Singapore. “This is where they shot that scene in “Crazy Rich Asians”,” he explained. “Maybe I’m a little bias, but the food here isn’t something that will make me go OHMYGOSH SO (DELICIOUS)! It’s decent lah but meh.”
He added that some Muslim owned stores had already closed when he dropped by. Ceddy later commented that the food had their own spin, but it lacked flavour. “Our food is still supreme,” Ceddy wrote. “I will however, commend them for making sure the food centre is clean.”
Ceddy’s off-handed review of the area delighted some and upset others. In fact a Singaporean netizen, Sanif Olek decided to call the local blogger out on Twitter. “No point making your trip to Singapore and attempting a review if your mind is already set and bias, brother,” they said. Ceddy was quick to respond. “Who said I was there for your mediocre food?” he asked. “Again, I think people do have comprehension issues. I still maintain that I wasn’t even on an offensive mode (while) talking about the food in Newton but oh well… lol.”
Some netizens sided with the blogger, both Malaysians and Singaporeans. A few Singaporeans took it upon themselves to tell Ceddy, Newton was the wrong place to go. “Most Singaporeans will agree that food at Newton is not good,” one commented. Ceddy explained he didn’t know as he was a tourist and simply wanted to see what made it special enough to be in “Crazy Rich Asians”.
Others felt Sanif was overreacting. After all, everyone was entitled to their own opinions. “Ceddy’s comparison is only specific to what landed on his taste buds down to his stomach,” someone stated. A few however pointed out that comparing food between Malaysia and Singapore was a futile exercise. “It is different,” one emphasised. Another wrote: “Sometimes I don’t understand why SG and MY quarrel over who has better foods. I lived there for 6 years. I find that a lot of SG hawker foods are quite DIFFERENT. Like comparing orange and apple.”
Ceddy has always been outspoken about his opinions like when he slammed a certain pizza company and pitched in on the char kuey teow controversy. But, Ceddy has not insisted on his opinions being the one everyone should listen to.
After all, as the saying goes, one man’s meat is another man’s poison. However, we should still be respectful of one another, regardless of differing opinions.
Sources: Lobak Merah, Twitter (1)(2)
