There are always two sides to every story. And this conflict between this Chinese tourist and a bak kut teh shop owner in Langkawi really takes the cake.
Recently, a Chinese tourist took to Douyin to air her grievances against a certain bak kut teh store in Langkawi. Allegedly, she had been chased out by the owner after he failed to inform her it was near closing time. But, the owner later denied the allegations and shared his side of the story.
The tourist shared she had found the bak kut teh restaurant, Restaurant Shark Fing (佬食旺), late at night and had hoped to get a warm meal. Reportedly, she had entered the store around 8:43pm and as the owner said nothing about her presence, proceeded to order some food. Her food then arrived around 8:50pm so she tucked in, but at 9pm, she was told the store was about to close.
“As someone from China, this is how I understand the matter,” she stated. “If (the store) closes at 9 o’clock, (they) should inform me when I enter the store, so I can decide whether (I have time) to dine or not.” The tourist pointed out that she had already paid after ordering the food, which forced her to commit to finishing her meal.
“How can you ask me to eat two plates of food in 10 minutes?” she asked. She also added that such an incident would not have happen in China. “If I knew the store was going to close, I wouldn’t eat. It would make me very uncomfortable,” she stated. But, in a recent interview with China Press, the owner claimed otherwise. He denied having rushed or driven her away, claiming it was only the tourist’s perception.
The owner concurred that the customer had entered the store late, roughly around 8:30pm, and the store had served her food quickly. However, at 9pm, the employees allegedly started cleaning up and clearing away the tables and chairs outside. The indoor area where the customer was seated, had supposedly not been affected in the slightest.
The owner believes that the cleaning up made the customer uncomfortable and affected her mood, adding she had already finished her meal and was simply drinking. Allegedly, she approached him to ask about their closing time, but he reassured her and told her to take her time. “It’s no problem even if (you) want to drink till 10pm, I can wait,” he said. But, allegedly, it only upset the tourist.
“I never chased the customer away,” he stated. “These are all her one-sided remarks.” The owner also explained that the employees would start cleaning the outside area at nine as they would soon be getting off work. As for the indoor area, the owner himself would do the cleaning up once any customers there were done eating.
Reportedly, the restaurant has been operating for over 23 years in Langkawi and the owner claims, has yet to receive a bad word about it. Well, we can’t say who’s in the right for sure, but we certainly do hope they will be able to clear the issue up amiably soon!
Sources: China Press, 西瓜视频
