There's a lot of huffing and puffing in this family curry puff feud
A long-simmering family feud at Hong Lim Market & Food Centre has boiled over into the digital realm, with one curry puff stall accusing its rival – run by its own brother – of orchestrating a campaign of negative online reviews.
Tanglin Crispy Curry Puff Original (#02-36) took to Facebook on Dec 8 to denounce a barrage of one-star Google reviews it claims were posted within a “very short timeframe”.
This online skirmish adds a new layer of complexity to the ongoing dispute between the two stalls, both claiming lineage to a beloved curry puff legacy.
The negative reviews, some of which have since been removed, targeted the filling and texture of the curry puffs, with one reviewer complaining of “sogginess”.
Many reviewers simply left a one-star rating without any comment.
Tanglin Crispy Curry Puff Original noted that several of these one-star reviewers had also awarded five-star reviews to a neighbouring stall, Tanglin Crispy Curry Puff Since 1952 (#02-34).
Adding intrigue to the situation, these two stalls are run by brothers Peter and Ray Ng, respectively.
“All ingredients are freshly prepared and sold on the same day,” Tanglin Crispy Curry Puff Original clarified in the comments section of their Facebook post.
Addressing the “sogginess” complaint, the stall stated: “If this were a common issue, it would be easily noticed on-site and addressed immediately. However, these concerns have only appeared in online reviews, not during in-person visits.”
The stall further posted multiple links and screenshots detailing the history of the dispute between the two businesses and has reported the suspicious reviews to Google.
The roots of this brotherly battle lie in a disagreement over the history of the original stall, founded by their father, Mr Ng Yong Cheong, who began selling curry puffs from a tricycle in 1952 before setting up shop at the hawker centre.
Now in his 80s, Mr Ng has previously accused his elder son, Peter (who runs Tanglin Crispy Curry Puff Original from the original store location), of distorting the stall’s history.
Ray, the younger brother, operates Tanglin Crispy Curry Puff Since 1952 from a nearby unit after a falling out with his family.
The current online review bombing appears to be the latest salvo in this ongoing family and business feud.
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