Food and money handled with the same hand! @ The Lotus

This Vietnamese restaurant opened in the summer of 2011, six months on I decided to give it a visit.

There was nothing interesting on the menu, which was why I never tried it.

However when I walked past, the green curry looked good, so I stopped by for a takeaway at their takeaway section.
There was a reasonably long queue, about four people ahead, so after glancing at the food options I went to back of the queue and could not see the operations going on at the counter.

When I was second in the queue, I saw a woman behind the counter wearing an apron, right hand not in gloves, and the left hand wearing thin rubber gloves.
The customer in front ordered chicken, which was hygienically covered in cling film, so the woman unwrapped the cling film and used the gloved hand to put the chicken in the takeaway box, which was perfectly fine.

However when the customer paid, she handled the notes in the same hand that she just used for the chicken!

Anyway, since I was going order the pork chop, I did not think it required her hand to touch the pork chop directly, I assumed there would be food tongs.

But to my horror she used her gloved hand (the hand that just handled the money with) to pick up the pork chop and chicken wings and put it in my takeaway box.

Just imagine if the $50 note I paid with was previously owned by someone who wipes their butt with money, then the poor bugger after me would be eating food that may be contaminated because she touches the money with her gloved hand and then touches the food directly when she serves the next customer!

I also noticed that, the cashier system was just like the wet market in Hong Kong, she did not put the money into the till, but she put it in the pocket of her apron, so every time the customer pays she would fumble with the money and change from her apron.

Anyway, to conclude, the people in front must have seen her handling the money and food directly with the same hand and were ok with it, and if I got food poisoning, the people in front of me and behind me must have got it too.

I think I must lower my hygiene standards for foods in Hong Kong or the general public should upgrade their knowledge on hygiene, OR neither case in Hong Kong because it’s a case of take it or leave it.

It also amazes me that in the summer shops will put chocolate and confectionery products on shelves which are in direct sunlight or near the door with temperatures that can reach mid-thirties where it will melt or go off!

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Green curry with chicken wings and pork chop

 

The green curry sauce had a strong coconut taste. The pork chop was slightly too salty.
Took a bite into the first chicken wing and it was raw!

First raw chicken wing

 

Tried the second one and it was also raw!

second chicken wing that was undercooked

 

The chicken wings were bloody as seen on the pictures and the rice was stained by the chicken blood~!

 

chicken blood stain!

 

Since I had already lost my appetite by their lovely hygiene, the raw chicken wings were not that shocking!
Overall it tasted OK, the MSG was strong.

The only improvement required is better hygiene standards.