A bizarre “hot pot heist” at a Tsuen Wan all-you-can-eat restaurant has taken Hong Kong social media by storm after two diners were caught allegedly stuffing raw seafood, beef slices and instant noodles into bags to take home.
The roughly two-minute clip, believed to be from a staff body camera, shows an employee confronting the couple at The Aquatic Market in Tsuen Wan Plaza. Polite but firm, the staffer urges them to return the food, reminding them they are welcome to eat as much as they like on site but cannot take it away. After initially denying the act, the man reluctantly produces multiple bags bulging with raw ingredients, prompting the stunned worker to exclaim “the whole bag?”
Netizens slammed the pair’s behaviour as “embarrassing” and “disgusting” while praising the employee’s professionalism. Barrister Albert Luk Wai-hung said the incident could constitute attempted theft, noting the high-value ingredients involved.
On Sunday, The Aquatic Market issued a statement saying it “has always placed high importance on protecting customers’ privacy rights” and that the footage was recorded solely for internal training to improve staff service and handle unexpected situations. “There was absolutely no intention of publicly releasing it,” a spokesperson said.
The restaurant said it “deeply regretted” the accidental leak and had launched an internal probe while tightening its data security procedures to prevent similar incidents.
Despite the controversy, the restaurant has not filed a police report. According to reports, the couple had visited the venue several times before and did not apologise when checking out.