Customer forced out of restaurant after spat with chef
She had 'complained loudly' when told drinks from outside were not
allowed
By Sarah Ng
Sep 10, 2006
The Straits Times
A QUIET dinner at a quiet restaurant in Upper Thomson Road turned
ugly on Friday night when a spat broke out between the chef and a
customer.
Teacher Ang Ai Min, 43, claims she was left with bruises on both
her arms after the chef at the Le P'tit Breton, a French crepe
restaurant at Thomson Imperial Court, physically forced her from
the premises during an argument.
The problem started because Mrs Ang's two sons had brought a drink
into the restaurant.
The co-owner of the two-year-old restaurant, Ms Sabrina Tan, 42,
told her that drinks bought outside were not allowed in the
eatery.
Ms Tan said: 'She told me off and said that I was picky.
'She also said that her sons did not drink in the restaurant. Then
she stood up and said loudly that she was not eating at our
restaurant anymore.'
Ms Tan said that Mrs Ang was still complaining loudly when she
walked past the open-concept kitchen in the middle of the
restaurant.
'Our chef told her to keep quiet, but she continued with her
complaining and was taking her time to leave the restaurant,' said
Ms Tan.
Mrs Ang alleges that the chef then grabbed her and forced her
out.
She told The Sunday Times yesterday: 'We were leaving when the chef
waved a spatula at me and told me that I can't talk so loudly in
his restaurant. He also told me to get out.
'So I asked him why I can't talk loudly, and before I knew it he
grabbed my arms from behind and yanked me out of the door,' she
said.
'It all happened so quickly. I was so shocked that I didn't even
scream for help.'
She called the police while outside the restaurant and later went
to see a doctor for her bruises.
'I want people to know that such behaviour is unacceptable. How can
anyone lay his hands on another person, not to mention using brute
force on a customer?' she said.
Ms Tan said: 'The chef probably grabbed her arms, but it was not
for no reason.'
She said that Mrs Ang had created a scene by complaining so loudly
inside the quiet, 24-seater restaurant while making her way
out.
She added: 'Our restaurant is a small and cosy place with a quiet
ambience and we have to consider how other diners might feel about
the noise.'
The police confirmed that they received a call from Mrs Ang at
7.35pm on Friday.
They will be following up with the case.
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