Pune Couple Accuses Restaurant of Serving Chicken in Veg Dish at Amanora Mall
Reported by Siddhi Patil
Hadapsar, 13th July 2025: A quiet dinner outing turned into a deeply distressing experience for a Pune-based vegetarian couple, who allege that they were served chicken in a vegetarian dish at a popular Indo-Chinese restaurant inside Amanora Mall. The incident has sparked a conversation around food labelling, customer trust, and respect for religious and lifestyle choices.
The incident occurred on July 10 at ‘Wow China’, where the couple, who identify as Brahmins and lifelong vegetarians due to religious and personal beliefs, claim they were misled into consuming non-vegetarian food.
“It felt like a betrayal”
“We explicitly ordered vegetarian Hakka noodles and reconfirmed with the staff. They assured us it was a pure veg dish,” the couple told reporters. “But to our shock, we discovered pieces of chicken in the noodles while eating. It felt like a betrayal—not just of trust, but of our core values.”
The couple expressed emotional distress and outrage, describing the experience as an affront to their religious sentiments. “This is not just a culinary error. For us, this touches the very essence of who we are. Such negligence and insensitivity can have lasting emotional and health consequences.”
Silence from Restaurant and Mall Authorities
As of now, there has been no official response from Wow China or the management of Amanora Mall regarding the alleged incident. The couple has not yet filed a police complaint, but they are considering legal options.
The Larger Conversation: Beyond One Meal
Incidents like this, while not uncommon in India’s fast-paced dining culture, raise larger questions about food transparency and accountability. For many people in India, dietary choices are closely tied to faith, tradition, and health. A mistake in the kitchen can quickly escalate into a crisis of trust.
Consumer rights advocates argue that eateries must take greater care in segregating vegetarian and non-vegetarian food preparation, and ensure proper staff training, especially in a culturally diverse country like India.
“Customers rely entirely on restaurant staff for information about what they’re eating. One mistake can deeply hurt a person’s faith and peace of mind,” said a Pune-based food safety activist.
