A Hotpot Horror Story: Sanitary Pads in Soup and a Lawyer‑ish Follow‑up
The First Bite That Went Wrong
Date: September 28
Location: Haidilao, Shenzhen, China
Incident: A woman named Ni pulls a sanitary napkin out of her hotpot.
Demand: 1,000,000 yuan (about S$200,100) for damages.
Response: The restaurant boss explains the thin paper might be leftover from the meat packaging, but Ni isn’t buying it. She returns the next day, turns on the heat, and wrecks the place.
Police Involvement: The police step in, requiring Ni to cover the damaged property, and they keep the pad for investigation.
The Second Crunch: Same Problem, Different Spot
Date: September 29
Restaurant: Chongqing Impression
Complaint: Same pajamas‑in‑soup scenario.
Reaction: Ni says she isn’t after money – she wants to “expose unsanitary conditions” in hotpot joints. No scam, just a food‑safety exposé.
Swaggering Hotpot Chain: Haidilao’s Rolodex
Reach: 300+ outlets across China, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, and the U.S.
Business Move: IPO in Hong Kong raising nearly US$1 billion (S$1.37 billion).
Why It Matters: Any hit to reputation could slice profits faster than a hotpot ladle.
Food Safety Red Flags in China
Rats & Maintenance: Last year, two Haidilao kitchens were found infested with rats—plus a worker trying to fix a sewage blockage with a soup ladle.
High‑Profile Shock: A pregnant diner once pulled a dead rat out of her pot and was allegedly offered US$4,000 to abort.
Bottom Line: Ni’s concerns echo a larger anxieties over sanitized surfaces.
Takeaway: Looking Out for Two Things
Food Safety – Anything that swims past the grill should be suspicious.
Consumer Mindset – Sometimes the drama is less about money and more about catching the subpar—though a little legal clout isn’t entirely off the table.
In a nutshell*: Ni’s hotpot havoc dual‑parks the dish and the law, stirring a bigger conversation about how we can keep our boils and banquets scandal‑free.
