A Japanese tourist in Singapore was left aghast after being charged Rs 57,000 for a crab dish at a restaurant. According to the New York Post, Junko Shinba visited Seafood Paradise on September 15 with the aim of trying Singapore’s famous chilli crab dish. However, the cost of the dish left her so shocked, she called the police on the eatery.
Shinba, who was part of a sightseeing group visiting Singapore, told AsiaOne that a waiter at Seafood Paradise strongly recommended the restaurant’s signature Alaskan King chilli crab dish.
The waiter told her the crab would cost $30, but failed to mention that that was the charge per 100 grams, she claimed.
Shinba, 50, chose an Alaskan King Crab chilli dish while other members of the group ordered things like Black Pepper Beef Fried Rice and Crisp-fried Yam Ring. When the bill arrived, however, they were all left stunned – the total came to $1,322.37 (Rs 80,433).
Of this, the Alaskan King Crab dish alone cost $938 (Rs 57,000), while other dishes were priced at $20 or less.
“We all became speechless knowing that one dinner for four adults cost that much,” Shinba told AsiaOne, adding that the restaurant did not inform her of the total weight of the crab before it was cooked. “None of us were informed that the whole crab would be cooked only for us, as some other restaurants serve crabs partially,” the 50-year-old said.
“There were three plates full of crab and many other dishes, we were unable to finish everything,” she told AsiaOne.
Shocked at the bill, she asked a waiter to phone the police. When cops arrived, restaurant staff showed them a receipt from another customer who ordered the same dish to prove that Shinba was not being overcharged.
A representative for Paradise Group, who owns Seafood Paradise, told AsiaOne that the Alaskan Crab costs $26.80 per 100 grams. “To prevent any miscommunication, the staff even brought the whole Alaskan King crab to the table before preparation,” the representative said.
“Upon payment, the customers refused to pay the bill and requested to make a police report. Hence, the restaurant manager assisted in making the police report,” the restaurant said.
Eventually, Seafood Paradise offered a discount of $107.40 discount on the bill totalling $1,322 as Shinba did not have enough cash to cover the entire amount.
