The cafe admitted that better words could have been used to describe the Indonesian dish. Pictures via Instagram/theritual.sg and The Ritual website
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PETALING JAYA, May 31 A Singapore cafe has apologised for claiming to serve nasi padang without the nasties in a now-deleted Instagram post.
The Ritual, located on Bukit Timah Road, posted a statement on their Instagram over the weekend admitting that the choice of words they used to refer to a locally-inspired dish was inappropriate and insensitive.
It failed to articulate our original intentions and our respect for the culture and heritage of nasi padang as a dish.
It did not align with our teams values and we made the decision to remove it early this morning.
We are extremely sorry for causing any hurt, anger, or offence, read the statement.
The Ritual previously made an Instagram post inviting customers to enjoy its nasi padang without the nasties and indulge in a guilt-free treat.
The caption went on to explain that the dish is made without monosodium glutamate (MSG) and additives, and that diners could taste Indonesian flavours bursting forth minus the guilt.
Indonesians then converged on the cafes social media to call it out for presenting one of the nations most iconic foods in a negative light.
The Rituals apology has not gone down well either and many have continued to criticise the cafe for its handling of the situation.
Yeah, the nasties being MSG, colouring, etc… real nasi padang doesnt have any of those, so which nasi padang have you been eating that contains such things?
I hope you understand why this really was an issue, its the implication (more) than anything else, Instagram user @jhotan_ commented.
Another user also slammed the cafe for failing to do proper research on the culture and cuisine it was lifting its recipes from.
You can stop adopting any other culture youre unsure of and the first step is to take the Nasi Padang off your menu, cause you dont deserve to serve that in your restaurant, said @pandazhar.
The nasi padang dish is still available on The Rituals e-menu for SGD21 (RM65) at the time of writing.
The Rituals initial response to the controversy. Screengrabs via Instagram/theritual.sg
The cafe initially responded to the backlash on their Instagram Stories and said that there was no intention to put anyones culture down with the post.
The management also claimed that they simply wanted to create a healthier version of nasi padang so people with dietary restrictions could savour it as well.
Nasi padang is one of the best-known dishes of Minangkabau cuisine and hails from the West Sumatra province of Indonesia.
It consists of rice with a variety of side dishes which are typically put on display in restaurant windows in towering arrangements of stacked up plates and bowls.