A Japanese tourist who discovered her restaurant bill had risen to $1,000 took the matter to the police, saying she was not properly informed about the cost of her meal.
Junko Shinba, who was visiting Singapore, was dining at Seafood Paradise on August 19 when she learned that the chili crab dish she ordered cost around US$680. Singapore outlet AsiaOne reported.
Shinba, 50, told AsiaOne that a waiter suggested the dish, which is popular in Singapore and neighboring Malaysia.
But this dish was prepared with Alaskan king crab, which costs diners about $20 per 100 grams at Seafood Paradise, AsiaOne reported. Spicy crab is usually cooked with mud crab.
The waiter highlighted the crab as a $20 dish “without explaining that they charge per 100 grams,” Shinba told AsiaOne.
A representative from Paradise Group, which owns Seafood Paradise, told AsiaOne that the restaurant showed the whole crab to Shinba’s group of four.
“To avoid any misunderstandings, the team brought an entire Alaskan king crab to the table before preparation,” the rep told the outlet.
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But Shinba said she was not told that “the whole crab would be cooked just for us” and assumed her group would only receive part of the crab, Asia One reported.
A photo of the receipt Shinba provided to AsiaOne showed the price of the Alaskan king crab at about $680, meaning it weighed about 3.5 kilograms, or 7.7 pounds.
“There were three plates full of crab and so many other dishes, and we couldn’t finish it all,” she told the outlet.
Combined with the cost of the other dishes, the total bill for Shinba’s table came to about $1,000 upon receipt.
Shinba then asked Seafood Paradise to call the police, and officers later arrived at the scene, AsiaOne reported.
After some discussion, Shinba’s group received a discount of about $78, and her boyfriend paid for the meal with a credit card, the outlet reported.
A Paradise Group representative told AsiaOne that the restaurant manager helped Shinba file a police report and offered the discount “in good faith.”
Xinpa also contacted the Singapore Tourism Board about the incident and its case was forwarded to the Singapore Consumers Association, AsiaOne reported.
Seafood Paradise crab dishes typically cost around $7.90 to $8.60 per 100 grams, although snow crab dishes cost $19.60 per 100 grams. The cost of real Alaskan lobster is listed as “seasonal.” On the restaurant menu.
A representative of the Singapore Police Force declined to comment on Shinpa’s case, citing the confidentiality of the police investigation.
Representatives from Paradise Group, the Singapore Tourism Board and the Singapore Consumers Association did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
THE NAIS IS OFFICIAL EDITOR ON NAIS NEWS