Does this look like sambal sotong? Woman shocked and disappointed after paying $15 for dish

A woman was shocked and disappointed with what she received after ordering sambal sotong from a seafood stall at a coffee shop near Buangkok MRT Station on Apr 2.

Stomper Selvi shared that she visited the stall at about 6.50pm and ordered assam fish ($31) and hotplate tofu ($12).

Five minutes later, she said the lady at the counter told her: "The assam sauce is spoilt, can you take curry fish?"

Selvi told her she didn't want the curry fish and was peeved when the woman started taking orders from others instead of asking her what she wanted instead.

She added that her face was 'not pleasant' after she turned down the curry fish.

After waiting for some time, she approached the woman and told her she wanted sambal sotong and agreed to the $15 price.

She also added on garlic kailan ($10).

In total, Selvi paid $37 for the meal which she brought home to eat with her husband after he returned home from work.

"We ate at 9.15pm and to our shock, the sambal sotong did not look like sambal sotong," she said.

"I asked for sambal sotong and I got a dish that had some black sauce mixed with a little spice.

"There were two small pieces of tomato and some onion and the white strips were so-called sotong."

She added that she had no issue with the hotplate tofu or garlic kailan but noted that there was only one prawn inside the tofu dish.

"I know food is not cheap anymore but I hope the hawker doesn't need to lie to earn money from customers like us," she said.

"I hope the authorities visit the stall to take action.

"We were tired after work and hoped to have a proper meal for the price we paid."

Selvi shared that her family used to visit the stall at least once a month last year but had not had the time or opportunity to visit this year.

However, she will not patronise the stall again.

"No way, the food is not worth it, the sotong doesn't look real and tasted rubbery," she said.

"Two years ago the assam fish was going at a promotional price of $13.90, then it was $25 last year, and now it costs $31.

"Also, how can a seafood stall say their assam sauce is spoilt? They should have preserved their food well.

"I was shocked to hear this, especially at  6.50pm when their business was bustling."