RM16 'nasi kukus' arrives without chicken, sparks outrage

The Sun

18 hours ago

WHAT happens when you politely remind a restaurant to double-check your order? According to one Malaysian woman, you get served the most expensive rice and cucumber meal of your life – and the internet is absolutely furious about it.
A Pahang woman's Facebook post has gone viral after she shared photos of her shocking RM16 'nasi kukus' delivery that arrived with everything except the main ingredient – the chicken. The betrayal stings even more because she had simply added a polite reminder asking staff to be more careful with orders after they forgot her salted egg in a previous purchase.
'I paid RM20.74 in total, but this is what I get for adding a reminder. Are the staff in the eatery pulling some sort of prank here?' she wrote, perfectly capturing the disbelief that thousands of Malaysians are now sharing.
The photos tell the whole infuriating story: a container with plain rice, some cucumber slices, one whole salted egg (costing RM2.50), curry gravy, and sambal – but absolutely no trace of the chicken that should have been the star of this RM16.25 meal. With delivery fees bringing her total to RM20.74, she essentially paid premium prices for what looks like a sad, deconstructed meal prep gone wrong.
Her original message to the restaurant was nothing but courteous: 'The other day I ordered nasi kukus with a salted egg, but there was no salted egg included. Please read the order properly. Thank you.' Yet somehow, this reasonable request for basic service seemed to trigger what many online users are calling 'petty revenge' from the kitchen staff.
The post has unleashed a flood of sympathy and outrage from fellow Malaysians who've experienced similar food delivery disasters. But what's really struck a chord is the deeper conversation about restaurant accountability that's emerged from this seemingly simple mix-up.
'The eatery owner has entrusted the staff to do their jobs properly, but instead they've provided poor service. Pity the owner. Just contact the owner directly and let them take action as well,' wrote one user, highlighting how staff mistakes can destroy businesses that owners work years to build.
Another commenter captured the harsh reality: 'The staff can quit their jobs, but the ones who suffer are the boss and the business. No boss would want to sabotage their own livelihood, especially after working hard to build the business and attract customers.'
The overwhelming response forced the restaurant to issue a public apology, admitting they were short-staffed during the Hari Raya Aidiladha season – though many netizens aren't buying this excuse for what appears to be deliberate omission. The eatery claims they've personally contacted affected customers and provided 'improved replacements' as compensation.
While the restaurant's apology attempts damage control, the incident has sparked a much larger conversation about customer service standards in Malaysia's booming food delivery industry. The woman's experience serves as a cautionary tale: sometimes being a polite, reasonable customer can backfire spectacularly, leaving you with a RM16 lesson in why some people are afraid to complain about bad service.
The viral post continues to rack up comments and shares, with many users advising others to screenshot their orders and report problematic restaurants directly to delivery platforms. Because apparently, asking for basic service accuracy is now considered controversial – and your chicken might just disappear in retaliation.