Former Tong Ah Eating House chef throws hot soup at kitchen assistant for being too slow, gets jail

A former chef at Tong Ah Eating House, along Keong Saik Road, was sentenced to 13 weeks' jail after throwing hot soup at his kitchen assistant in a fit of rage.

Kee Pui Yen, a 50-year-old Malaysian national, faced four charges, including voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means and criminal intimidation.

He pleaded guilty to two of the charges in court on Mar. 17, with the remaining charges taken into consideration during sentencing.

According to Chinese news daily Lianhe Zaobao, Kee was working as a chef at the establishment at the time of the incidents.

His victim, Chen Guoxing (transliteration), who is also a Malaysian national, served as a kitchen assistant responsible for taking orders and preparing ingredients.

Alleged the assistant kept mixing up ingredients

Citing court documents, Zaobao reported that Kee had grown increasingly frustrated with Chen's slow pace and tendency to mix up ingredients, which frequently resulted in wrong dishes being sent out.

That frustration escalated from verbal abuse to repeated acts of physical violence.

Charge sheets seen by Mothership revealed that on Mar. 9, 2025, Kee had scooped up hot soup and splashed it at Chen's wrist.

The same thing happened again the following day, this time aimed at Chen's chest.

Concerned about getting Kee into trouble, Chen neither reported the incidents to the police nor sought medical attention at the time.

About a month later, on Apr. 11, 2025, while the two were working in the kitchen, Kee, angered by Chen's pace, threw hot soup at him again.

Chen was splashed on the chest and suffered first-degree burns.

The following day, Kee hurled hot soup at him once more, narrowly missing.

That same afternoon, he issued a direct threat: "If you return to work, I will throw more boiling water at you."

Fearing further harm, Chen finally called the police.

When medical personnel arrived, they found a burn wound approximately four centimetres long on Chen's chest.

He initially refused to be taken to the hospital, citing concerns over medical costs, but was subsequently referred by police to Singapore General Hospital for a full evaluation.

Doctors there found scarring on his chest, waist, and wrists — injuries suspected to be from prior burns sustained during the earlier incidents.

Kee was arrested on October 6, 2025.

In urging the court to impose 14 weeks' imprisonment, prosecutors described the offences as an extreme case of workplace bullying, noting that Kee had repeatedly targeted a subordinate through both verbal abuse and sustained acts of physical violence.

The judge ultimately sentenced Kee to 13 weeks' jail.

Said to have a history of verbal and physical abuse

When contacted, the restaurant owner, surnamed Chen, told Shin Min Daily News that most of the staff work front-of-house and were unaware of what was happening in the kitchen.

It was only after the incident came to light that Chen learned Kee had a history of verbal and physical abuse at other restaurants as well.

"As the boss, this is certainly not something we would have wanted. Had we known about his past, we would never have hired him," Chen said.

He added that while the victim had a slight tendency to be forgetful, he was hardworking and remains employed at the restaurant to this day.

Top photos from Google Maps and AFP