A Muslim couple’s special day in Hsinchu, Taiwan, turned sour after pork was served at their wedding banquet, despite multiple halal assurances given by the hotel in advance.
The groom, Mr. Wang, had specifically chosen Ambassador Hotel Hsinchu for its advertised Muslim-friendly options.
He stated in a post that all communications and the signed contract clearly requested zero pork or pork-based ingredients in any dish.
Guests discovered pork in rice dish
The issue happened on May 25 when the seventh course was served — a rice dish described as “Steamed Rice with Whitebait and Melon Seeds”, which unexpectedly contained shredded pork.
Muslim guests, some of whom flew in from different countries, were the first to notice the problem.
They informed the couple, who were unaware and shocked by the discovery.
Hotel blames ex-chef, offers 10% refund
According to Mr. Wang, the hotel initially blamed the mistake on a chef who had resigned days before the event.
Later, they claimed the chef had voluntarily resigned to take responsibility.
CT Want reported that the hotel only refunded 10% of the banquet cost — around NT$40,000 (approx. RM5,674)— which the groom felt was inadequate given the breach of agreement and the religious implications.
Couple demands apology and full compensation
Mr. Wang has since asked for:
- A formal, public apology to all Muslim guests and his family
- A full refund for the wedding banquet
- A detailed explanation of steps to prevent future incidents
Hotel apologises, promises stricter measures
According to UDN News, Ambassador Hotel Hsinchu released a statement apologising for the incident. They acknowledged that pork had been mistakenly included and that the responsible chef had since resigned.
They also promised more careful internal procedures when hosting similar halal or religious dietary events in the future.
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