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A woman said she was left traumatised after discovering multiple live cockroaches crawling on a plate of raw meat at a Korean barbecue restaurant in MyTOWN Shopping Centre, Kuala Lumpur
In a Threads post on Wednesday, 26 August, user @aqilahmaria_ shared a video and photo showing several small cockroaches crawling around the corner of a plate containing raw meat.
"This happened at MyTOWN yesterday. I swear I'm traumatised. I was hungry but I saw this. Always check your food before eating, guys," she wrote.
The post has since gone viral, racking up more than two million views, with many netizens expressing their shock over the footage.
View on Threads
Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) ordered the restaurant to close for two weeks
Following the viral post, DBKL said its Department of Health & Environment's Sanitation Unit inspected the premises immediately and ordered it to close under the Licensing of Food Establishments (Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur) By-Laws 2016.
The closure will remain in place from 26 August until 9 September.
"The closure of the premises is for the parties involved to carry out corrective and thorough cleaning actions," it said, adding that it would continue to ensure food premises in the city comply with public hygiene and health requirements.
Meanwhile, the restaurant, which was not named in the original Threads post, has since issued a public apology
"Dear valued customers, I am writing to offer my deepest and most sincere apologies for the unacceptable hygiene standards observed during your recent visit to Dong Nae BBQ on 25 August," restaurant manager Lim Jung Min wrote in a statement shared on Instagram.
Lim said the conditions did not reflect the restaurant's core values or operating protocols, adding that it takes food safety and cleanliness seriously.
He said the restaurant would remain closed to carry out a deep cleaning and full sanitisation of its kitchen and dining areas, and that a professional pest control service has also been engaged to inspect and treat the premises.
"We completely understand your disappointment and concern, and we take full responsibility for this lapse. To hopefully regain your trust, we will rebuild and we come back stronger," he said.
MyTOWN Shopping Centre said it is also taking the matter seriously
The mall said it had immediately inspected the premises together with the restaurant's management after seeing the viral post.
"Thank you for bringing this matter to our attention. As soon as we received the report, our operations team arrived at the location to conduct an immediate inspection together with the tenant, and follow-up actions are being taken," it said in a comment on the original Threads post.
"We will continue to monitor this matter carefully to ensure that cleanliness standards are always maintained for the comfort and safety of all visitors," it added.
