Claimed to be a Safe Restaurant, but a Drain Stopper Found in Galbijjim... "Lost My Appetite"

"At first, they made excuses about the water bottle cap... Apology was also half-hearted"
Restaurant official: "I made a mistake while cleaning the sink"

There is controversy over a drain stopper found in food sold at a restaurant in Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province. The restaurant is reported to be a Safe Restaurant designated by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.

On the 3rd, a post claiming that a foreign object was found in braised short ribs from the restaurant was shared on an online community, sparking debate.

Lid of a bento box that came out of the braised short ribs being eaten.
[Photo by Online Community Capture]

The author, Mr. A, explained, "A foreign object, either a drain stopper or a water bottle cap, came out of the earthenware pot," adding, "I discovered it after picking up the meat and seeing it settled at the bottom."

He said, "When I told the staff, they took the entire pot to check and suddenly gave me a new dish without my consent," and added, "My appetite completely disappeared, so I didn’t eat and left without paying."

He continued, "The more I think about it, I don’t understand how something like that could get into the earthenware pot and be served to customers," and said, "I went with friends, and maybe because we were young women, the apology was half-hearted."

Mr. A stated, "When I asked on the spot, they said it was a water bottle cap, but later, when my friend’s parents called to confirm, they admitted it was a drain stopper," adding, "In the past, I found hair in my food and just let it go, but this is unacceptable. I’m currently vomiting and can’t eat anything. I think I’m going to develop trauma."

According to a confirmation by Money Today on the 2nd, a representative of the restaurant explained, "It’s not a drain stopper but a cap," and added, "We placed the cap on top while cleaning the sink, and it seems it got into the earthenware pot."

They further said, "At first, we apologized and tried to ask about compensation, but the customer later called and said they would post about it on the community," and added, "Since it’s our fault, we will accept the consequences."

Netizens who saw the photo reacted with comments such as, "How did this get in?", "The most outrageous foreign object ever," and "Even if it’s a cap, this is extreme."

Meanwhile, the 'Safe Restaurant' system is an initiative promoted by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs to improve dining culture. Specifically, it applies to restaurants that exemplary practice four major tasks: providing utensils for serving oneself, hygienic management of spoons and chopsticks, staff wearing masks, and providing hand sanitizers.