When it comes to first dates, everyone has their own idea of the perfect setting—whether it’s a cozy café, a candlelit dinner, or something as casual as your neighbourhood mamak.
Recently, a woman shared her experience on Threads after turning down a date with a man who suggested meeting at a mamak restaurant.
“Honestly, I don’t even mind eating at mamak stalls—I love thosai!” she wrote.
“But come on, if the first move already lacks effort, what do you expect from this kind of guy?”
The woman also mentioned posting a picture of herself eating at a restaurant, which prompted the man to call her “picky,“ assuming she only dined at expensive places.
“But I was eating alone in that picture—not asking for his money,“ she added.
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Her post sparked a heated discussion in the comments section. Some agreed that a mamak restaurant might not be the most ideal setting for a first date, while others defended the man’s choice, arguing that since they were still strangers, a simple setting was reasonable.
One commenter, @diyanashuhaimi, expressed her frustration with the suggestion:
“On a first date, we want to have a calm and relaxed conversation—not be surrounded by cigarette smoke, the sound of people cheering at football on the mamak TV, and all that. Do I need to show you a selfie of me eating at a mamak before you believe I’m not materialistic? It’s not about money. It’s about common sense, which, I guess, isn’t so common for you guys?”
On the flip side, @baylex94 argued that a simple first date is a sign of financial responsibility:
“Look here, if at this age you expect a first date to be at expensive restaurants and the guy won’t do it, he’s financially responsible. If by the second or third date, he’s still not putting in effort, then move on. Because you both don’t even know each other. Like it or not. If every one of the 10 women he dates expects a restaurant, his wallet would be dry, especially if they’re just freeloading. After the first date, they enjoy the meal and disappear.”
He added, “Get this straight. Who are you to demand this and that? You’re[sic] strangers, and you’re not his wife.”
So, what do you think? Is a mamak stall a reasonable choice for a first date, or does the setting matter?
