A Japanese tourist’s attempt to savor Singapore’s renowned chili crab turned into a dining debacle when she visited Seafood Paradise at Clarke Quay. Junko Shinba recounted her frustrating experience, stating that she and her family and friends dined at the restaurant after a sightseeing tour on August 19. What was intended to be a delightful culinary experience took an unexpected turn due to a misunderstanding over pricing.
As the group placed their orders, a waiter strongly recommended a specific type of crab, priced at $30. However, Shinba claimed that the waiter failed to clarify that the crab was priced per 100 grams. It wasn’t until they received the bill that they realized their costly mistake. According to the receipt, they had chosen the Alaskan King Crab, which, according to a Paradise Group representative, is priced at $26.80 per 100 grams. These crabs are known for their substantial size, weighing between two and five kilograms.
The final bill left Shinba and her party astonished, totaling $1,322.37, with the chili crab dish alone accounting for approximately $938. In contrast, their other dishes, such as Black Pepper Beef Fried Rice and Crisp-fried Yam Ring, cost less than $20 each.
Feeling misled and uninformed about the total weight of the crab, Shinba asked a waiter to call the police. When the police arrived to mediate, the restaurant staff presented a receipt from another customer who had ordered a similar dish to demonstrate that they hadn’t overcharged Shinba’s group. Eventually, the restaurant manager offered a $107.40 discount for the meal, which was paid for by one of Shinba’s friends via credit card.
Shinba also reported the incident to the Singapore Tourism Board, which brought the matter to the attention of the Consumers Association of Singapore.
In response to queries from AsiaOne, a representative from Paradise Group maintained that their staff had effectively communicated the price and weight of the Alaskan King Crab when the order was placed. The restaurant insisted that the crab weighed approximately 3.5 kilograms in total and had even been brought to the table for inspection before preparation. To avoid any further miscommunication, the staff had taken extra precautions. The $107.40 discount was offered as a goodwill gesture to resolve the dispute, as the customers claimed they lacked sufficient funds to cover the meal.