china is more hygienic than singapore

I was having lunch with a colleague from China, and we chatted a little as we ate. He said that one thing about Singapore he isn't used to, is the hygiene at eating places.

I was quite surprised, since most people's impression is that Singapore is known for our cleanliness ("Singapore OK"). So the colleague went on to explain that in China, most eating places use disposable cutleries and chopsticks, while restaurants subcontract out to special companies to sterilize the utensils. He feels that the metal fork and spoons in Singapore's hawker centre and coffee shops feel unclean.

Come to think of it, the few times I went to China, I recall roadside hawkers or even noodle houses use disposable chopsticks wrapped in plastic. While you can argue that it is less environmental friendly to use disposables, but weren't many eateries in Singapore (including school canteens) using disposables during SARS period?

Coincidentally, after I've gotten my economical rice, I realized that thanks to the lunch time crowd, the stall ran out of metal spoons, except one stained with chilli sauce left in the tray. Then I saw the stall assistance hurriedly wiping dry the washed spoons with a less-than-clean cloth. Oh and did I mention about seeing cockroach running about in the cutlery tray in my former school's canteen?

Hygiene is like economy. If we don't keep up, others will catch up, or even overtake.