China supermarket brand Scarlett opened its newest Scarlett Bite and Go food court concept at Kovan’s Heartland Mall, offering a variety of Chinese fare such as grilled fish, braised dishes, chicken feet and mala, the supermarket chain announced on social media on Saturday (June 6).
The opening quickly caught the attention of netizens after user poppy.nation shared a TikTok video introducing the new food court on Monday.
“Finally,” said a commenter. Added another: “At last an air-conditioned food court at Heartland Mall. And I love that it’s selling a different kind of food from the hawker centre [outside].”
While some netizens welcomed the opening, a few expressed disappointment that it had replaced Suki-Ya, a Japanese shabu shabu restaurant which had been a long-standing fixture at the mall.
@poppy.nation Scarlett 思家客 has just opened a new indoor food court at heartland mall Kovan Level 2 #sgfoodie @思家客 Scarlett Supermarket
“My Suki-Ya is gone,” one lamented, while another said: “That spot used to be the Japanese steamboat place, Suki-Ya…The mall already has quite a few Chinese and China food brands.”
Meanwhile, many also saw the opening as a part of a broader trend, questioning the increasing number and popularity of Chinese F&B businesses in Singapore, and what it could mean for Singapore’s local food culture.
“Too much China[sic] food, very sian,” said a netizen.
Another wrote: “Now [it’s] all China[sic] food, all local delights will be gone.”
One commenter also said that the food court is “not inclusive” to other demographics such as Muslims.
Last year, concerns about the inclusivity of some Chinese businesses were raised after an image of a Chinese pancake stall’s menu written entirely in Mandarin was shared online.
Scarlett Supermarket was among the businesses, as a visit to one of the chain’s outlets at The Grantral Mall revealed that some signages were written completely in Mandarin, according to The New Paper.
Still, some netizens took a more balanced view, saying that Singapore had long seen a variety of foreign businesses, and that this was no different.
“When was the last time any of us purchased a smartphone from a Singapore manufacturer? Are not our home appliances all foreign-branded, cars as well? And is there any issue with Japanese or Korean restaurants, or do we have reservations patronising McDonald’s or Burger King?” a commenter questioned.
The Kovan branch is not the first Scarlett Bite and Go to open. The last one opened at Woodland’s Causeway Point in February this year.
First launched in 2020, Scarlett is a Chinese supermarket chain in Singapore selling groceries and snacks from China. It currently has 40 outlets in Singapore.
[[nid:735438]]
carol.ong@asiaone.com
Read the full article here
