S'pore diner tickled after getting Mandarin-only order chit, eatery says it will add bilingual wording

A patron at a Chinese restaurant at Vivocity was tickled after noticing that his order chit was printed entirely in Mandarin and encountering a server who did not know how to speak English.

"Lucky I know how to say he shui (drink water)," the patron quipped.

While the patron found it a "non-issue", the restaurant said that a Mandarin-only order chit is something they should have "considered more carefully".

It added that it will take steps to add bilingual wording to customer-facing order chits and bills as soon as possible.

Language barrier

The patron shared about the experience in a TikTok clip.

In the caption, the user, @azxr.i, wrote, "Lost Melayu in Vivocity".

The hashtag referred to Alijiang, which, according to its website, is a restaurant "serving Xinjiang flavours".

Its Vivocity location is its only outlet.

"I go to this place I makan, first of all the server cannot speak English," the user recounted with a smile.

Thankfully, he could manage some Mandarin vocabulary, the user shared.

He then referred to the order chit given to him, which was printed entirely in Mandarin.

"You tell me, I want to read what?" the user said while cackling.

Not meant to be negative

Speaking to Mothership, the user, Azri, said he visited the restaurant at around 2pm on Jun. 25.

He was with his fiancée, who was similarly unable to converse fluently in Mandarin.

On the experience, Azri said he felt "amused" as it was the first time this had happened to him in Singapore.

He said that ultimately, it was a "non-issue" because he was able to converse in "some basic conversational Mandarin" and also used "contextual clues" to figure things out.

He emphasised that his post was not meant to direct negativity at the restaurant or its staff.

"I just thought it was funny and just for gags," Azri commented.

He also said that he would "100 per cent" visit the restaurant again as the food was "very very good".

Bilingual wording to be added to customer-facing chits and bills: Restaurant

Responding to Mothership's queries, the restaurant, Alijiang, said that it was aware of the TikTok clip and has reviewed the feedback.

"While the diner appeared to take the experience in good humour, we acknowledge that an order chit printed only in Mandarin may be difficult for non-Mandarin-speaking guests to understand, and this is something we should have considered more carefully," the restaurant said.

It also explained that the Mandarin wording on the order chit was originally used for "operational and kitchen accuracy".

"We agree that customer-facing order chits and bills should be more accessible," the restaurant said.

Alijiang shared that it was taking steps to include bilingual wording on its customer-facing order chits and bills "as soon as possible".

"In the meantime, we have also reminded our service team to proactively assist guests who may need help understanding their orders or bills," it added.

"We appreciate the feedback and will use this as an opportunity to improve the experience for all guests," the restaurant said.