This is from an email my friend sent me.......I haven't been to penang in ages.. Here is the email


BOYCOTT!!!!! LORONG SELAMAT KOPITIAM
Report received from friend who paid a visit to Penang recently. Saturday, May 05, 2007Lorong Selamat Kopitiam: Boycott! *No offence to Penang-kias. This is strictly my personal thoughts. This kopitiam is famous because of the "char kuey teow" only. Otherwise don't bother going there. This post is strictly to taruh the kopitiam kau-kau... for having such a stupid ruling to charge customers RM 0.50 just because they don't order a drink! X(

During our recent makan trip to Penang, one of my neighbours (a Penang-kia) took us to Lorong Selamat to savour the famous "char kuey teow" (we also went to a few other spots for "char kuey teow"). Since it was a big group of us, we occupied 3 tables lor, and subsequently ordered some drinks. The drinks and food came and we all ate heartily. Yes, the "char kuey teow" is good, but expensive. At RM5.50 a portion (and it's a small portion mind you), you can consider is one of the most expensive "char kuey teow" in Penang. But we're not gonna talk about the "char kuey teow" now. We're gonna talk about the kopitiam. We asked this aunty to calculate the cost of drinks. 5 assam-type drinks and 1 ice-kacang a.k.a ABC. The aunty mumbled something and blurted out in hokkien "Zhap Zhi Kor" which means RM12. Then hubby asked her how much was a glass of the assam drink, to which she replied RM1.50 for each assam drink and RM3.50 for the ABC while taking the money from hubby."Eeeeehhhh.... something's not right. 5 assam drinks + one ABC... that shouldn't be RM12. Should only be RM 11! Aunty, you calculated wrongly liao!" hubby exclaimed.

AUNTY 'LANSI' @ Lorong Selamat Kopitiam The aunty dam kau lansi, just mumbled "It's correct lah!" and walked off! The bloody nerve of her!!! All of us were like in awe over her lansi reaction. I just watched that aunty walk off hastily cos she knew she was in trouble with our gang liao. Hubby then called one of the Indon maid and ordered another one of those assam drinks, and told that girl "Sudah bayar".

The aunty returned with the assam drink and proceeded to explain how she calculated the cost of RM12. She said that 2 of our members didn't order a drink, hence it's by default to charge non-ordering drinking customers RM0.50 per head. Since the cost of drinks is RM11, and 2 of our members didn't order a drink, so the total cost is...

RM11 (for drinks) + RM1 (for 2 non-orders) = RM12

We were dumbfounded and argued that the ruling is utterly stupid. Even my Penang friend wasn't aware of such a dumb ruling. The aunty that pointed at the notice board, with fine prints written on it. Indeed anyone that doesn't o rder a drink from the kopitiam, a RM0.50 will be charged accordingly . Geez, even KL doesn't have such ruling ok.

So 6 assam drinks + one ABC brings the cost exactly up to RM12. So by "default" , we should pay an extra ringgit for 2 non-orders, but we refused because it's a stupid ruling by the kopitiam.

By then we had a few tables looking our direction liao. But we couldn't care less cos the kopitiam is ripping its customers off. So it's our right as consumers to make a racket because it's OUR money. The aunty went on to explain she's only working there, the boss made that rule yada yada yada. Then we said "Call your boss out! We will talk to your boss!" Then she said "You talk to my boss! You talk to my boss!"

The boss never came out. And we also suspected that this aunty IS the boss herself, but scared of us oredi because we made such a scene in her kopitiam.The aunty even challenged us to take a photo of the kopitiam and report it to higher authorities. WTF?!? So lansi hor?

So, if your friends tell you that Lorong Selamat "char kuey teow" is very good, believe them. Because it is really quite tasty. But it will cost you RM5.50 a plate for a small portion, which may not be worth the trip sometimes. But the kopitiam where it's located, skip it. Because it sucks! And they couldn't even get the assam drink right! Blek! *Note: Not all "char kuey teow" in Penang is nice. Some are just so-so, and I've tasted one of the worst "char kuey teow" @ Gurney Drive hawkers.