S'porean man seen rinsing hands with plastic bottle at table mid-meal, staff had to mop the spot right after

A diner in a restaurant in Singapore opted for a questionable place to rinse his hands midway through his meal – at his table.

The man, who was dining with a female patron, was seen pouring water onto his hands from a plastic bottle, letting the water drip onto the ground.

He also flicked his hands a few times away from the table before going back to his food.

The woman appeared unaffected by the actions.

Ironically, the pair was seated near the restaurant's basin.

A staff member was then seen walking to the table with a mop to clean up the wet spot.

Restaurant responds

In an Instagram post, the restaurant, DK Signatures by Deanna’s Kitchen, posted a CCTV clip of the incident.

"Just a gentle reminder that we actually have a wash basin near the entrance of our restaurant, as well as a toilet at the back. We provide hand soap and tissues too!" the caption wrote.

It added that the washing facilities were installed precisely for customers who wish to wash their hands after using them to eat.

It then called out the "unhygienic" act of washing hands at the table, adding that the wet floor also poses a slipping hazard for customers and staff, who would have to clean up the mess.

"I think it’s really just basic consideration for the people around us, especially those who are working hard to keep the restaurant clean and comfortable for everyone."

Netizens took to the comment section to express their dismay at the diner's behaviour, with most similarly condemning his inconsideration.

"I was there! Saw the whole thing. So close to flip their table but my slice fish soup was too good," one commenter wrote.

Clarifications

The restaurant made a second post the next day, clarifying questions raised in the comment section of the first video.

The couple featured were local Singaporeans, it said, adding that "bad dining etiquette has nothing to do with race or nationality".

It also called for netizens to stop speculating about the couple's origins.

Responding to earlier questions about why no one approached the couple at the time, the restaurant's owner, Deanna, said she and her husband were not at the restaurant when the incident happened, and only found out afterwards.

The restaurant's staff are also trained to provide the best service and avoid confrontations with customers, she added.

"In this particular situation, I think they were genuinely at a loss as to what to do."

She said that it was the very first time she had encountered such a thing after 10 years in the Food and Beverage industry.

Finally, the post clarified that the point of sharing the video was to act as a reminder to diners about basic dining etiquette and to be considerate of others.

It was neither to shame anyone nor to start a discussion about race or nationality, the post emphasised.

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A post shared by DK Signatures by Deanna’s Kitchen (@deannaskitchensg)