By Jesse O’Neill
A tourist charged nearly $1,000 for crab in a Singapore restaurant got way more than crabby about it — she even called the cops.
Junko Shinba, of Japan, told AsiaOne that she visited Seafood Paradise with her sightseeing group last month when she took up a waiter’s advice and ordered the eatery’s signature Alaskan King chili crab dish.
She was told it was $30 in Singapore dollars — but not that that was the price “per 100 grams,” she claimed.
Her group of four ended up getting way more than they could eat, she said, with it weighing in at about 7.7 pounds or 3,500 grams.
That meant it cost $938 in Singapore dollars, which is just under $700 US.
“We all became speechless knowing that one dinner for four adults cost that much,” the 50-year-old told the outlet.
“None of us were informed that the whole crab would be cooked only for us, as some other restaurants serve crabs partially,” she said, saying they were served so much “there were three plates full of crab” left over.
A spokesperson from the group that owns Seafood Paradise told the outlet that the crab cost $26.80 per 100 grams and claimed the price of the dish had been “clearly communicated.”
“To prevent any miscommunication, the staff even brought the whole Alaskan King crab to the table before preparation,” they said.
Shinba, however, was so outraged she called the cops and the Singapore Tourism Board.
“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,” noted the restaurant, which said police arrived to mediate.
Eventually, the restaurant offered the crabby customer a paltry $107.40 discount on the bill totaling $1,322 — about $970 US — “out of goodwill,” the restaurant owners reportedly said.
Alaskan King crab typically retails in the continental US for about $70 per pound, according to a scan of seafood websites.
That means it would cost the average American $539 to prepare a 7.7-pound dish of the delicacy at home.
