SINGAPORE — A Japanese restaurant in Singapore has announced that it will be renaming its signature hotpot dish, Kami Nabe, after years of confusion, awkward laughter, and what management described as "an unacceptable number of near-fights."

The dish, a traditional Japanese hotpot featuring pork, vegetables and a rich broth, has been a bestseller in Japan for over two decades.

In Singapore, however, customers appeared unable to hear the name without reacting.

"We noticed something was wrong when nobody would order it directly," said restaurant manager Tan Hiroshi. "People kept pointing at the menu and saying, 'That one, number seven.'"

According to staff, the situation escalated whenever employees attempted to confirm orders.

"I would ask, 'One Kami Nabe?'" recalled waitress Aiko Nakamura. "Then the uncle would say, 'Excuse me, what did you just call me?'"

One incident reportedly involved a diner standing up and demanding to know why the restaurant was "using vulgar language in front of children."

Restaurant management initially believed the issue stemmed from pronunciation and conducted staff training sessions to improve clarity.

"We tried saying it slower. We tried saying it faster. We even tried using a Japanese accent," said Tan. "Unfortunately, that somehow made it worse."

The turning point came last month when a packed dining room fell completely silent after a waiter loudly announced:

"WHO ORDERED THE KAMI NABE?"

Witnesses reported several customers immediately turned around while one auntie began recording on her phone.

"I thought a fight was about to start," said diner Lim Ah Beng. "Then the food arrived."

Following a review, management decided to rename the dish "Harmony Hotpot" for the Singapore market.

The new name has reportedly increased sales by 300%.

Not everyone supports the change.

Traditionalists have accused the restaurant of abandoning Japanese culture, while others argue Singaporeans should simply grow up.

"We are adults," said customer Kelvin Ong before bursting into laughter halfway through the interview.

At press time, the restaurant was reportedly reviewing its dessert menu after discovering that a new item called "Fuku Cream" was attracting the wrong kind of attention.