A popular Auckland Chinese restaurant says it was mistakenly tied up in a furore online showing dozens of fish fillets hanging on a clothesline outside.
But a food safety officer from Auckland Council paid the bustling Mt Albert noodle house a visit on Wednesday and removed the restaurant's A-grade, slapping them with a D.
A video was reposted to Instagram on 18 April capturing about 20 pieces of fish drying out the back. It then spread across other social media platforms.
932 BBQ Noodle House manager Alice Lau.RNZ / Isra'a Emhail
The site was identified as 932 BBQ Noodle House on New North Road, given away by the restaurant's old sign discarded nearby.
Restaurant manager Alice Lau told RNZ on Wednesday they shared the space where the fish were hanging with residents living above the eatery and other businesses on the road. She said the fish on the line were not theirs nor was it used in their menu.
"That is confirmed that that [fish] is for the resident … nothing used for the consumer or any customers," she said.
"I actually already talked to them [the tenant] … and they're feeling sorry and apologised and then it won't happen again."
Lau said the video had hurt their business' reputation. She said people had assumed the fish was theirs, regulars had questioned them, and Auckland City Council's food safety officer had paid them a visit.
Following that visit around Wednesday lunch, they had their A-rating removed and were told they would have a fortnight to make amends before another visit from an Auckland Council food safety officer.
“An improvement notice has been issued and the restaurant has been given a D food grade," said Veronica Lee-Thompson, principal specialist licensing and environmental health at Auckland Council, in a statement to RNZ.
"The improvement notice will include prohibiting the drying of fish, or any other food outside of the premises."
Lau felt that many online had shown a lack of respect for cultural differences. She had not engaged with anyone as she didn't want to fan the flames.
"People kept starting their imagination and talking about the business and also furthermore about Asia and culture issue, how they're cooking the food, how they're eating the food, it's too much. It's become worse and worse.
"But we also get lost … I don't know what to do. I cannot be just one mouth to stop all of the mouths from talking and what they think in their mind.
"We try our best in making good quality food and also the cleaning hygiene for all the consumers in our shop.
"But looks like more and more people maybe they transfer the video to other media and it continues starting a topic and become more worse, but we're now feeling hopeless."
932 BBQ Noodle House's canned salted fish product, which they use in three of their menu items, comes from overseas.RNZ / Isra'a Emhail
The restaurant does use canned salted fish, only about a teaspoon in three of their menu items, which is supplied by a commercial business overseas, not made locally, she explained.
While Lau does not have experience in making dried salted fish, she said it was an age-old method used for centuries by people in China, with each community having their own way of preserving and cleaning it before cooking.
"For example, in the really old ages, they dry the meat … to save it for a long time, in that time they don't have a fridge.
"The dried food is not only the meat, they also dry vegetables… and whenever they use it, they can just soak it in water and then cook it to make dumplings or buns, they can stir fry with meat, they can do anything [with dried food], it's just like fresh things but the taste will be different.
"So the people they're using that year by year and the culture extends, with [young] people learning from the old people."
People who miss the flavours from their childhood might crave the original taste which doesn't quite match the commercial-made products, she said.
"Nowadays the food is tasteless so when the people become older and older, they're trying to find [flavour from] the memories."