6 Times Bringing Your Own Water To S’pore Eateries Caused A Stir, Including Chong Pang Nasi Lemak Coffee Shop

1. Own water bottles can’t be placed on tables at Chong Pang kopitiam

In the viral video, the drinks stall owner asks the family to place their water bottle on a chair instead of the table, citing the coffee shop’s rule against outside food and drinks. The younger man objects: “The chair is for people to sit.” The argument escalates, with his father hurling vulgarities at the stall owner.

The drinks stall owner, identified by 8world only as Mr Wang (transliteration), later clarified that customers are not completely prohibited from drinking their own water, but should keep their bottles hidden or place them on chairs. He said he introduced the rule around a year ago after allegedly encountering customers who bought ice and used it with soft drinks concealed in their thermal flasks.

The family’s son, Brandon, alleged that Mr Wang threw their bottle onto the pathway outside the kopitiam twice and challenged his father to a fight in a back alley. Mr Wang disputed his account, claiming that a member of the family threatened him and challenged him to a fight downstairs. Police officers subsequently arrived at the coffee shop. The parties’ allegations have not been independently verified.

Despite the koptiaim’s name, the drinks stall and nasi lemak business are separately operated. Mr Wang told 8world that the premises are jointly leased by the two businesses, with the latter previously clarifying that it is not affiliated with the drinks stall.

2. Same Chong Pang drinks stall in the news earlier this year

This is at least the second reported disagreement involving a personal water bottle at the Chong Pang coffee shop this year.

In March, a different diner said a drinks stall employee interrupted his dinner and asked him to put away his bottle.

During their exchange, the employee reportedly used a marker pen to add the words “No water bottle” to an existing “No outside food and drinks allowed” notice.

The owner confirmed at the time that adults should keep their bottles in their bags or place them on chairs. Exceptions were made for elderly diners and children below 10.

3. FoodHub at Oxley BizHub allegedly had similar practice

Apparently, FoodHub at Oxley BizHub has a similar practice — at least according to netizens who posted Google reviews of the Ubi food court four months ago.

A netizen named Luna E alleged that a man had approached her colleagues over her bottle of water that wasn’t bought from the food court and pushed it across their table, almost knocking it onto the floor.

According to her, she stopped drinking from the bottle after being informed of the rule. However, the man apparently returned later, raised his voice and told her that the food court sold mineral water too.

She claimed that he then asked her to hide the bottle or place it on the floor before grabbing it and leaving it on top of the tray return shelf. The irate netizen left without retrieving her bottle.

4. Zi char spot Eat First charged family $2 for bringing own mineral water

In another recent case, Mothership reported that Cantonese zi char joint Eat First in Geylang charged a family $2 after their two children drank from a 1.5-litre bottle of mineral water brought from elsewhere. The restaurant claimed that the family used its bowls as cups to serve the water.

Eat First told Mothership that a sign at its entrance stated that outside food and drinks were prohibited, and claimed that staff had warned the family that they would be charged. However, the customer, Mr Ng, maintained that his family did not notice the sign and was not informed about the charge beforehand. He said he only learnt about it when the bill arrived.

After the incident came to light in April, Eat First’s Google rating plunged from 4.2 to 2.5 within 24 hours amid a flood of one-star reviews. It later recovered to 3.2 as other users defended the restaurant and criticised the online vitriol. 

Eat First’s second-gen owner Steven Chia said he did not mind customers bringing water bottles filled from home, but drew the line at drinks purchased from other shops and consumed at his eatery, which also sells bottled water.

Addressing the flood of negative reviews, he told 8days.sg: “Cyberbullying is real. The toxicity never ends.”

5. 3838 Eating Place stopped diner from sipping her water with medication

Yet another water disagreement occurred at 3838 Eating Place along Queen Street in July 2023.

A 62-year-old diner said an employee stopped her when she tried to drink from her water bottle to take her medication. Staff at the privately operated coffee shop reportedly asked customers to keep personal water bottles off the tables.

Following media coverage of the incident, drinks stall owner Claire Chua clarified to Mothership that customers could drink from their bottles. She merely preferred that the bottles not be displayed on tables, as their presence might discourage people from purchasing drinks.

Separately, the coffee shop owner, identified by Shin Min Daily News only as Ms Lee, said customers requiring water for medication could request it free from the drinks stall.

6. Luk Lu Eating House’s $10 surcharge for consumption of drinks from elsewhere

In 2023, Luk Lu Eating House at 341 Beach Road displayed signs warning diners of a $10 surcharge for consuming food and drinks bought elsewhere.

Its manager said the signs were intended as a deterrent after customers brought their own takeaway coffee and food into the coffee shop. He clarified that nobody had actually been charged the extra $10.

The notices were subsequently removed by the kopitiam owner after friends alerted her to a news report about them.

She said the manager had put them up without informing her and that she was worried they would scare customers away. She preferred staff to remind customers politely instead.

A general “no outside food or drinks allowed” notice remained, but the $10 surcharge portion was withdrawn.

Netizen shows up with large water bottle at site of recent spat

The latest controversy at the Chong Pang kopitiam has also inspired at least one cheeky experiment.

A Redditor posted a photo of a giant green water bottle sitting prominently on a table at the coffee shop and asked netizens to “wish me luck”, seemingly to see whether the drinks stall owner would confront him.

However, the anticipated showdown never occurred. “Nothing happened. [The drinks stall owner] no show,” the netizen reported, hinting that they might try again.

Reactions to the Chong Pang coffee shop’s rule remained divided online. One commenter called the restriction against displaying bottles on tables “arbitrary”, while another argued that customers should respect a private establishment’s rules or simply choose not to patronise it.

While each eatery draws the line differently, one thing is clear: for something so plain, water can be surprisingly contentious.