‘Really not appropriate’: Singapore restaurant criticizes diner for washing hands at table

A restaurant in Singapore has called attention to a diner who washed his hands at the table, leaving water on the floor, even though a sink is only several steps away.

In an Instagram post, Deanna’s Kitchen on Changi Road showed the incident, which took place at on Thursday afternoon. The video had received more than 11,200 likes as of Sunday morning.

Two diners, a man and a woman, are seen sitting across from each other. The man wipes his hands with a tissue before opening a bottle of mineral water and pouring it over his hands, splashing water onto the floor.

As he wipes his cutlery and continues eating, a staff member promptly mops up the mess. A washbasin is visible in the background, less than five meters from the diner.

In the post, Deanna’s Kitchen owners Muhamad Asri Ramli and Denise Deanna Chew remind customers that the restaurant has a washbasin and a toilet. They also provide hand soap and tissues.

"We understand that sometimes when you’re enjoying our prawn noodles or seafood dishes, you need to use your hands.

"And of course, you’ll want to wash them afterward. No problem at all! That’s exactly why we have these facilities available.

In response to queries from AsiaOne, Asri and Denise said such incidents are thankfully uncommon. "Washing your hands at the dining table and allowing water to flow onto the floor is really not appropriate," Asri, 48, said. "It creates unnecessary work for our staff and could potentially endanger other diners."