Man, 48, gets face & body rashes eating regular prawns advertised as tiger prawns at Pasir Ris hotpot buffet
The man said his allergy to normal prawns started since his 20s.
A 48-year-old man suffered an allergic reaction after eating at a hotpot restaurant in Pasir Ris Mall.
This was after he allegedly consumed fresh regular grey prawns advertised in the menu as tiger prawns.
He is not allergic to tiger prawns and has publicly called out the restaurant for not serving what they advertised.
via Complaint Singapore
The man, who visited the outlet on Jun. 15 to celebrate Father's Day with his family, also claimed that the restaurant said it would cover his medical fees, only to have this offer withdrawn as the establishment asked him for proof of his specific allergy, but he could not prove it.
The restaurant told
Mothership that its employees took the matter very seriously and responded promptly to the incident.
It added that it refunded the buffet cost paid by the customer as an act of goodwill.
What happened
In a post on
Complaint Singapore Facebook, the man said he ate a lot of prawns as they were advertised as tiger prawns, as stated on the menu, as he was allergic to regular prawns.
Chen told
Shin Min Daily News that he began experiencing an allergy in his 20s, when he would get rashes when he ate them.
His friend advised him to try tiger prawns as they were apparently farmed differently, and Chen found that he had no allergic reaction to such prawns after trying them a few times.
He also noted that he would usually get swollen lips when he ate regular prawns, but did not have that reaction on that day, so he ate more without worry.
Chen revealed that he felt his face and head gradually getting warmer after eating around 20 to 30 of the prawns at the buffet.
It was then followed by a fever and itching all over his body, with rashes appearing.
Realising something was wrong, Chen immediately asked the store manager if it was tiger prawns.
He said the manager insisted that the store must have provided tiger prawns and that the boss would not joke about his own signboard.
Chen then went to the pharmacy in the mall to buy anti-allergy medication.
When he returned, the manager suggested he see a doctor, and his symptoms eventually subsided two hours after getting an injection at the clinic.
Chen said the manager originally promised to cover the medical expenses, so he went to a nearby clinic and spent S$120.
Yet after bringing the receipt back, Chen said the manager suddenly changed his mind and asked him to prove that he was only allergic to ordinary prawns and not tiger prawns.
Chen said he was disappointed, but did not want to cause trouble, so he left the store in anger.
When he checked the menu afterwards, the menu item’s name was changed from "tiger prawn" to "fresh prawn".
Screenshot provided by reader to Shin Min Daily News
Chen added that the store manager later apologised and said he would pay for half of Chen's medical expenses, but Chen refused.
Chen said he posted his experience online in hopes of raising awareness about such allergies.
In the Facebook post, Chen said he "strongly believes this is a very unethical business" and would not encourage customers to visit "such a dishonest store".
He said the post was meant to raise awareness for those who have a unique allergy like his, adding that the matter can be "life-threatening".
The post has since sparked mixed reactions online, with many defending the restaurant and raising doubts over such an allergy being legitimate.
Some online said Chen should be responsible for knowing the difference between the two types of prawns.
In response, Chen said he did not eat prawns very often and could not tell the difference.
Chen said he wanted to warn others about such a unique allergy, as others may have more serious reactions.
Restaurant's response
In response to
Mothership's queries, the restaurant — a brand which has operated in Singapore for over seven years — said all ingredients are sourced daily from regulated suppliers.
The restaurant added it promptly contacted its food liability insurance provider and submitted the customer’s details to facilitate the claims process after the incident occurred.
The restaurant also noted it refunded the buffet charge paid by the customer as an act of goodwill, adding Chen personally returned to the outlet to acknowledge and collect the refund.
"Regrettably, after the refund was completed, the affected customer continued publicising his case across various platforms in a manner we believe to be one-sided," the restaurant said.
"While we acknowledge the complexity of individual food allergies, we are not at liberty to make any assumptions about the food that customers ordered," it remarked.
Chen retorted that the "so-called refund" was actually extra fees charged by the restaurant.
Possible to be allergic to certain types of prawns only
A dermatologist at Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital told
Shin Min Daily News that it is possible that a person can only be allergic to certain types of prawns, due to the subtle differences in the protein structure of the different species.
Academic research also supports such claims, where it has been demonstrated that an allergy is limited to certain crustacea members, and shrimp allergy can be species-specific.
Those with a history of allergies are recommended to carry antihistamines, epinephrine pens, and backup oral steroids, as well as avoid contact with or smelling suspicious substances.
Top image via Canva and Complaint Singapore/Facebook
