Whampoa mala hotpot cook punches manager & knocks his tooth out after being nagged about 'messy kitchen'

The cook claimed that the manager often verbally abused him to force him to quit.

Kerr Puay Hian | May 29, 2023, 04:01 PM

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A Whampoa coffee shop mala hotpot stall cook completely flipped out one day when his naggy manager kept pestering him about his kitchen being “messy”.

The cook threatened to kill the manager with a chopper and punched him until a tooth chipped.

While he might have vented his frustrations, Zhao Chuanfei, 47, paid the price with nine months in jail.

Manager said kitchen too messy

Zhao was a cook working at a mala hotpot stall at the coffee shop at Block 87 Whampoa Road.

On Mar. 3, 2023, at about 3:50pm, his 36-year-old manager walked into the stall’s kitchen to check on him.

The manager asked Zhao to reorganise the plates and ingredients as he felt the kitchen was messy.

Cook said he has "own way of working"

Zhao brushed him off and said he had his “own way of working”.

The situation escalated when his manager insisted that “different workplaces have different practices” and pointed out that Zhao could choose to quit if he didn’t want to follow his instructions.

In anger, Zhao picked up a chopper and pointed it at the manager while moving towards him.

"If you continue to force me, I will kill you!"

However, Zhao decided to drop the chopper and used his hands to punch his manager’s face multiple times instead.

Zhao then picked up the chopper again and dragged his manager into a corner.

He then dropped the chopper again and continued throwing punches at his manager’s head and body.

Afterwards, Zhao held the chopper at his manager’s bicep, threatening, “If you continue to force me, I will kill you!”

Image via Shin Min Daily News

Manager left with bruises a chipped tooth

The manager subsequently escaped and called the police for help.

A hospital doctor diagnosed the manager with contusions on his face and body and a chipped tooth.

Zhao, a Chinese national, pleaded guilty to a charge of criminal intimidation and a charge of voluntarily causing hurt on May 25, 2023. Two other charges were taken into consideration during sentencing.

Image via Shin Min Daily News

Claimed manager often verbally abused him

According to Shin Min Daily News, Zhao said during mitigation that he came to Singapore to work as he hoped to earn enough money to return home.

He said he was paid S$40 a day.

Zhao claimed that his manager often verbally abused him as the stall’s business was not good and was “always trying to find ways to fire him”.

He also alleged that the manager wanted to earn a S$400 referral fee by introducing a new cook to the job.

Zhao pleaded with the judge to give him a lighter sentence as he has a cancer-ridden 70-year-old mother who took care of him as a single-parent family.

He said he also raises his son and daughter alone and wants to return home as soon as possible.

Manager regrets not firing cook earlier

When contacted by Shin Min, the manager denied Zhao’s claims.

He claimed that Zhao had always been “problematic” and “hot-headed”.

The manager wanted to fire Zhao three days after Zhao started work but decided to let him stay on as he was sympathetic to his circumstances.

The manager said he regrets his decision and will be more careful hiring future staff.

Top image via Shin Min Daily News