'Against racial harmony': S'poreans riled by Chinese menus with no English translation

New Paper

18 hours ago

Stepping into an eatery, the last thing most diners would expect is a menu entirely in a language they don't understand.
After all, English is Singapore's lingua franca and the working language of the civil service, bringing its diverse communities together.
While bigger chains like Haidilao, Tanyu, and Tongue Tip Lanzhou Beef Noodle cater to all customers with bilingual menus, some Chinese food establishments have been spotted operating without English menus - a trend that some non-Chinese Singaporeans call "exclusionary".
A photo of a Chinese pancake stall menu recently went viral for its lack of English. The stall is located in Clementi's Gantral Mall, which one Google Maps user nicknamed "mini-Chinatown" in a review.
This is in spite of Singapore Food Agency (SFA) regulations stating that food businesses offering prepacked food for sale in Singapore must provide labels with basic information about the product, such as its source, contents, and net quantity, in English.
The labelling requirements do not extend to non-prepacked food like dishes served in a restaurant.
Only the store's name was translated into English. PHOTOS: UNFAIR-BIKE/REDDIT, THE DRUG ARCHITECT/FACEBOOK
This seems to be an issue across some Chinese food establishments in Singapore.
In June, a Reddit user shared a post detailing the struggles of understanding a menu entirely in Chinese, as an Indian Muslim who does not speak Mandarin.
"Yes, they're a Chinese business, and Singapore is Chinese-majority. But having only the Chinese language means you are excluding non-Chinese people and even some Chinese Singaporeans who struggle with their mother tongue," the user wrote.
Comments in response to the user noted that Singaporeans are not the customer base these businesses are targeting: "Your absence does not make a difference to their bottom line because the (China national) expat bubble is self-sustaining."
Another user who identified as a Chinese Singaporean felt that service staff should be trained to speak basic English: "I'm going to do my part and speak (in English) to the staff in Chinese restaurants."
Not a one-off
The Grantral Mall stall is not an exception - when The New Paper visited Scarlett Supermarket on a weekday afternoon, some signage was entirely in Chinese.
The newly-opened outlet in Sembawang, one of 38 outlets owned by the Chinese supermarket chain, was predominantly staffed and patronised by Chinese nationals.
It boasted a food court with four stalls, one of which was a mala stall with no English on its signage.
The menu was written entirely in Chinese. PHOTO: ST LIM SAN TENG/GOOGLE MAPS
An item on the menu of a dumpling stall was labelled in English, apparently with the help of online translation services, as Sichuan chilli oil wonton was awkwardly mistranslated to "copyist with red oil".
Other items were properly translated. PHOTO: XIAN XIAN WONG/GOOGLE MAPS
Alienating non-Chinese customers
24-year-old university student Nornabihah Mohamed Noor told The New Paper that the lack of proper English translation alienates non-Mandarin-speaking customers: "Honestly, I dislike it. It feels unfair and goes against the idea of racial harmony that Singapore stands for.
"As a Malay who looks Chinese, I often get told I should speak Mandarin, even though I didn't grow up speaking it. It feels like there's an assumption or pressure to fit in a certain box."
She added that, intentionally or not, these businesses are sending a message to customers that other races are not as welcome: "Not having English labels would make people feel excluded or like they don't belong in their own country."
'We are a multilingual society'
A 47-year-old woman from China's Hainan province, who only wanted to be known as Mrs Tan, told TNP that she first visited Singapore 20 years ago in search of a job. She later met her Singaporean husband through a friend and settled here.
Mrs Tan, who admitted that her English is still "not good", has since obtained Singapore citizenship and has two teenage children.
"When I first came here, I didn't know English at all. Nowadays, I know basic words that I can use at work," Mrs Tan, who has worked as a dessert stall hawker for over 15 years, said in Mandarin.
While she acknowledged the preponderance of Chinese immigrants, Mrs Tan stressed that it should not excuse the absence of English translations on menus.
"If you're living here, you should follow how things are done here," she said.
"We are a multilingual society, so of course, you have to label your menu in English. That's the most basic level of respect you can give to customers because not everybody can understand Chinese."
Taking action
Some Chinese eateries have amended their menus to better reflect their offerings.
Xiang Xiang Hunan Cuisine, with 15 outlets across Singapore, recently updated its menu to correct some English translations.
However, not all Chinese words on the menu were translated.
The item is priced differently for members and non-members, but not indicated in English. PHOTOS, ARS 3276/GOOGLE MAPS, XIANG XIANG HUNAN CUISINE
In September 2021, Scarlett Supermarket was investigated by authorities for selling products without English labels.
In April 2023, the chain came under fire again for selling instant Chinese bread soup that listed methamphetamine as an ingredient. It was later clarified that the ingredients had been wrongly translated by the Chinese manufacturer.
At press time, Scarlett Supermarket and Xiang Xiang Hunan Cuisine had not responded to TNP's queries.
Miss Nornabihah told TNP that the lack of proper English labelling on menus is "not right" in a multiracial country.
"It goes against the idea of inclusivity and racial harmony we claim to value and preach about."