Hong Kong buffet diners caught on viral video sneaking raw meat into bag

The incident happened at The Aquatic Market in Tsuen Wan Plaza, The Standard reported.

A two-minute video, which circulated online on Sept. 27, shows a restaurant employee confronting the duo after the staff spotted suspicious activity on the restaurant’s CCTV system.

In the footage, the employee can be heard asking the diners to remove uncooked ingredients from a bag, citing hygiene concerns. He reminded them that the all-you-can-eat deal was only for food consumed inside the restaurant.

One of the men initially denied wrongdoing, pulling out a plastic bag of seafood and insisting that a separate bag of beef was not from the restaurant. Eventually, one diner surrendered a bag containing raw seafood, beef and instant noodles.

The staff told the customers they could take their time to enjoy the meal but were not allowed to carry items out. Despite being caught, the diners did not apologize before leaving, Mothership reported. The restaurant noted the pair had visited two to three times before.

The business decided not to report the case to police, although a barrister told The Standard that removing food from an all-you-eat buffet could legally be considered theft.

After the video went viral, the restaurant apologized for the leak, saying the CCTV footage had only been intended for internal training. Management has launched an investigation to find out how it was shared publicly.