Expat alleges overcharging by Boat Quay seafood restaurant
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SINGAPORE: Company director Ian McArthur could hardly believe his eyes when he saw the bill for lunch with his friend on Wednesday: It came up to $1,107.32, including S$348.80 for a 1.6kg lobster and $564 for a 3kg crab.
The Scot, who has been working here since last October, told TODAY: "I thought, 'It must be wrong. I can't believe this.'"
Mr McArthur then approached the staff of Forum Seafood Village - a restaurant at Boat Quay - seeking an explanation. He was told that those were the market prices.
But Mr McArthur told TODAY that the staff did not inform them how much the crustaceans weighed or the total cost before cooking the food. "It wasn't just the price. We feel that we were misled that's why we were upset about it," he added.
Apart from the king crab and lobster, Mr McArthur and his friend had a plate of fried rice and four glasses of beer.
Alleging that he was "grossly overcharged", Mr McArthur filed a complaint with the Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE) on Wednesday against the restaurant, seeking a S$900 refund.
But Mr Vincent Hoh, a restaurant employee who served Mr McArthur, said he told the diners the crustaceans' weight. When asked if he told the diners the total cost of the crustaceans, Mr Hoh replied he did not.
Forum Seafood Village manager Jo Chia said the restaurant does not usually inform diners of the total price of their seafood, unless diners ask for it.
Said Ms Chia: "We tried to tell customers (the total price) but some guests say it's too troublesome and tell us not to bother them."
Some patrons have also commented that, by informing them of the total price, the staff would be suggesting that they could not afford it, Mr Hoh said.
Ms Chia pointed out the restaurant's seafood prices are listed clearly - according to cost per 100g - at the restaurant's entrance and on the menu. "Our prices are market prices. We won't overcharge our customers," she said.
Ms Chia said the restaurant's owner is overseas and has not decided on its course of action with regard to the complaint.
Forum Seafood Village, which operates two outlets along Boat Quay, charges S$21.80 per 100g for the Australian lobster and S$18.80 per 100g for the king crab, after discounts. The usual prices were S$32 and S$25 per 100g for the lobster and king crab, respectively.
A check with neighbouring restaurants found one restaurant charging S$18.80 per 100g for the Australian lobster and another charging S$10 per 100g for Alaskan King Crab.
Responding to TODAY's queries, CASE said it has received 12 complaints for overcharging by food and beverage outlets in the first five months of this year. There were 27 complaints last year, up from 15 in 2009.-- TODAY
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.............boat quay seafood??????those tourist places often have bad reputation to overcharge.
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isnt it a bit too late to complain?
there is no way now to determine the weight of the lobster and crabs.
this is not the first time someone complain of overcharging. if you dont want to risk getting overcharged ask for the price first. no point complaining after eating.
btw if he wants reasonable prices he should have eaten at one of our friendly neighbourhood coffeeshops.
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It's just like going to dempsey and asking for food court prices
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Eh, $200 at a local kopitiam and you can eat like kings and queens with seafood and all sorts of meat dishes.
Who eats seafood at Boat Quay anyway?
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Having Lobster and Australian Crab yet still seeking for refund of 900. So serving those atas dishes cost $207.32? Angmoh really think singapore is fishing village lei.. serve cheap seafood. they should do some research before eating at such places. Dumb caucasians..
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maybe seafood is cheaper in france or england.
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Originally posted by CfCJ:
Having Lobster and Australian Crab yet still seeking for refund of 900. So serving those atas dishes cost $207.32? Angmoh really think singapore is fishing village lei.. serve cheap seafood. they should do some research before eating at such places. Dumb caucasians..
Sg cost of living is one of the highest in Asia.
He didn't read the newspaper report?
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So surprising can. Boat quay leh, chop tourist hotspot. Expat should know that leh, expat should not be called expat if dunno.
Who the fark goes to boat quay to eat seafood anyway?
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i am not surprise.
the rent there very expensive.
now seafood also very expensive.
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next time he will bring a calculator
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Originally posted by CfCJ:
Having Lobster and Australian Crab yet still seeking for refund of 900. So serving those atas dishes cost $207.32? Angmoh really think singapore is fishing village lei.. serve cheap seafood. they should do some research before eating at such places. Dumb caucasians..
they had a plate of fried rice and 4 glasses of beer too.
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$1,107.32 is not unreasonable in tourist hotspot and for seafood, like lobster and crab. the expat dumb
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if that was a business dinner meal...that $1k is acceptable in order to clinch any business.
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unless his business is so bloody crap until he thinks $1k is actually big $$$$$???then best he sell his ass if he thinks $1k is big $$$$ for a company director dining ar boat quay.
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worst than newton centre
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Would you pay $130 for a plate of crab bee hoon?
The chef of a popular seafood restaurant at Geylang has defended charging his customers high prices, including $130 for a plate of crab bee hoon.
The restaurant in question, Sin Huat Seafood Restaurant, is under the spotlight after a Yahoo! reader said she was charged $421 for a dinner for four adults and two children when she visited the eatery for dinner earlier this month.
Salesperson Gelene Ong, who went there with her family of six, received a rude shock when she saw the final bill.
Her dinner consisted of crab bee hoon ($130), scallops ($50), conch or gong gong ($50), prawns ($77), frog legs ($78) and vegetables ($12). Other items on the bill were peanuts and drinks ($20.40) and wet towels ($3.60).
However, chef Danny Lee said in response, "It's all a one-man show. Every dish we have, I make sure I take the orders and cook it myself. I also make sure that my ingredients are clean and fresh."
When Yahoo! Singapore visited his restaurant this week, he also explained the steps he takes to ensure that his dishes are fresh.
"For my gong gong (conch), I always tell people 'if you don't take my gong gong here, try not to take it elsewhere. I keep my gong gong in the tanks for a week for it to clear out the mud and dirt."
He also voiced his doubts that other seafood restaurants actually serve live seafood.
"They are serving such a big crowd everyday and they always only have a few fishes in the tanks. At the end of the day, you still see the fish swimming in the tank," said the chef.
At the time, customer Ong said she had visited the restaurant because the place was recommended by her friend who said she should try the crab bee hoon.
But she said she "didn't expect it to be so expensive" and was also put off by the lack of communication between her and the restaurant. She was not informed of the prices when her orders were taken.
"The restaurant had no menu. The service crew was also pushy about getting us to order an extra fish when we already had so much food," Ong added.
The extra fish she was asked to order was Cheng yu, otherwise known as Parrot Fish, and it comes at $120 per kilogram.
Chef Lee clarified that his restaurant does not provide menus.
"We don't have a menu. People who come here know me and, most of the time, they will ask me how much the dishes are. It just happened that on the day she visited the restaurant, she did not ask for the prices. Even if she asked, I would not have charged her differently," Lee said.
Chef Lee took out a stack of receipts to show the amount paid by other customers. It was exactly as he said: the prices were standardised.
It's not the first time the seafood restaurant has hit the headlines.
Chef Lee, who is known to be the "food nazi of Geylang", can be quite obnoxious, according to reviews posted on popular food site HungryGoWhere.
Potential customers visiting Sin Huat are also warned to be prepared for long waits and should avoid ordering from food stalls beside the restaurant.
"Sometimes people complain I serve too slow. I only have two hands and I'm the only cook. People may see me looking like I'm angry or impatient because I have no time to entertain them," Chef Lee explained.
His favourite customers are those who know how to appreciate good food.
"No point buying cheap food and it doesn't taste good. There's nothing special about that," said the owner of the restaurant who's hosted the likes of celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain.
Expensive meals have been in the limelight recently. Last month, Yahoo! Singapore ran a story about nasi lemak going for $8.30 along Upper Serangoon Road.
An expatriate diner was also charged $1,107.32 for a seafood lunch for two at Boat Quay's Forum Seafood Village Restaurant earlier this week, reported Today newspaper.
CASE has received 12 complaints for alleged overcharging by food and beverage outlets from January to May this year.
-- Yahoo!
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seafood had always been expensive
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Originally posted by QX179R:
Would you pay $130 for a plate of crab bee hoon?
The chef of a popular seafood restaurant at Geylang has defended charging his customers high prices, including $130 for a plate of crab bee hoon.
The restaurant in question, Sin Huat Seafood Restaurant, is under the spotlight after a Yahoo! reader said she was charged $421 for a dinner for four adults and two children when she visited the eatery for dinner earlier this month.
Salesperson Gelene Ong, who went there with her family of six, received a rude shock when she saw the final bill.
Her dinner consisted of crab bee hoon ($130), scallops ($50), conch or gong gong ($50), prawns ($77), frog legs ($78) and vegetables ($12). Other items on the bill were peanuts and drinks ($20.40) and wet towels ($3.60).
However, chef Danny Lee said in response, "It's all a one-man show. Every dish we have, I make sure I take the orders and cook it myself. I also make sure that my ingredients are clean and fresh."
When Yahoo! Singapore visited his restaurant this week, he also explained the steps he takes to ensure that his dishes are fresh.
"For my gong gong (conch), I always tell people 'if you don't take my gong gong here, try not to take it elsewhere. I keep my gong gong in the tanks for a week for it to clear out the mud and dirt."
He also voiced his doubts that other seafood restaurants actually serve live seafood.
"They are serving such a big crowd everyday and they always only have a few fishes in the tanks. At the end of the day, you still see the fish swimming in the tank," said the chef.
At the time, customer Ong said she had visited the restaurant because the place was recommended by her friend who said she should try the crab bee hoon.
But she said she "didn't expect it to be so expensive" and was also put off by the lack of communication between her and the restaurant. She was not informed of the prices when her orders were taken.
"The restaurant had no menu. The service crew was also pushy about getting us to order an extra fish when we already had so much food," Ong added.
The extra fish she was asked to order was Cheng yu, otherwise known as Parrot Fish, and it comes at $120 per kilogram.
Chef Lee clarified that his restaurant does not provide menus.
"We don't have a menu. People who come here know me and, most of the time, they will ask me how much the dishes are. It just happened that on the day she visited the restaurant, she did not ask for the prices. Even if she asked, I would not have charged her differently," Lee said.
Chef Lee took out a stack of receipts to show the amount paid by other customers. It was exactly as he said: the prices were standardised.
It's not the first time the seafood restaurant has hit the headlines.
Chef Lee, who is known to be the "food nazi of Geylang", can be quite obnoxious, according to reviews posted on popular food site HungryGoWhere.
Potential customers visiting Sin Huat are also warned to be prepared for long waits and should avoid ordering from food stalls beside the restaurant.
"Sometimes people complain I serve too slow. I only have two hands and I'm the only cook. People may see me looking like I'm angry or impatient because I have no time to entertain them," Chef Lee explained.
His favourite customers are those who know how to appreciate good food.
"No point buying cheap food and it doesn't taste good. There's nothing special about that," said the owner of the restaurant who's hosted the likes of celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain.
Expensive meals have been in the limelight recently. Last month, Yahoo! Singapore ran a story about nasi lemak going for $8.30 along Upper Serangoon Road.
An expatriate diner was also charged $1,107.32 for a seafood lunch for two at Boat Quay's Forum Seafood Village Restaurant earlier this week, reported Today newspaper.
CASE has received 12 complaints for alleged overcharging by food and beverage outlets from January to May this year.
-- Yahoo!
$130 for crab is not really over-charging ......
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Originally posted by Fatum:
$130 for crab is not really over-charging ......
only if it contains REAL crab meat, not the fake crab meat -
Originally posted by Jiani:
only if it contains REAL crab meat, not the fake crab meatThey were selling real crab what.
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Originally posted by charlize:
They were selling real crab what.
the reasonable lor -
I am jumping for joy at the ang mo's distress at his bill.
With the amount of crap n lobster he ordered, $1k is very cheap.
Besides he earns 10 times more than a Singaporean in a similar position. So he can afford a $1k lunch and dinner EVERY DAY.
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What is the expat complaining about?
He could read the cost per 100g in the menu, and he was informed of the weight of the seafood he ordered. Some simple mental arithmetic would have given him a ballpark figure of what to expect in the total bill.
If he had been too lazy to calculate the cost himself, he could have asked the waiter for the cost beforehand.
Dumbass.
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Originally posted by QX179R:
Would you pay $130 for a plate of crab bee hoon?
The chef of a popular seafood restaurant at Geylang has defended charging his customers high prices, including $130 for a plate of crab bee hoon.
The restaurant in question, Sin Huat Seafood Restaurant, is under the spotlight after a Yahoo! reader said she was charged $421 for a dinner for four adults and two children when she visited the eatery for dinner earlier this month.
Salesperson Gelene Ong, who went there with her family of six, received a rude shock when she saw the final bill.
Her dinner consisted of crab bee hoon ($130), scallops ($50), conch or gong gong ($50), prawns ($77), frog legs ($78) and vegetables ($12). Other items on the bill were peanuts and drinks ($20.40) and wet towels ($3.60).
However, chef Danny Lee said in response, "It's all a one-man show. Every dish we have, I make sure I take the orders and cook it myself. I also make sure that my ingredients are clean and fresh."
When Yahoo! Singapore visited his restaurant this week, he also explained the steps he takes to ensure that his dishes are fresh.
"For my gong gong (conch), I always tell people 'if you don't take my gong gong here, try not to take it elsewhere. I keep my gong gong in the tanks for a week for it to clear out the mud and dirt."
He also voiced his doubts that other seafood restaurants actually serve live seafood.
"They are serving such a big crowd everyday and they always only have a few fishes in the tanks. At the end of the day, you still see the fish swimming in the tank," said the chef.
At the time, customer Ong said she had visited the restaurant because the place was recommended by her friend who said she should try the crab bee hoon.
But she said she "didn't expect it to be so expensive" and was also put off by the lack of communication between her and the restaurant. She was not informed of the prices when her orders were taken.
"The restaurant had no menu. The service crew was also pushy about getting us to order an extra fish when we already had so much food," Ong added.
The extra fish she was asked to order was Cheng yu, otherwise known as Parrot Fish, and it comes at $120 per kilogram.
Chef Lee clarified that his restaurant does not provide menus.
"We don't have a menu. People who come here know me and, most of the time, they will ask me how much the dishes are. It just happened that on the day she visited the restaurant, she did not ask for the prices. Even if she asked, I would not have charged her differently," Lee said.
Chef Lee took out a stack of receipts to show the amount paid by other customers. It was exactly as he said: the prices were standardised.
It's not the first time the seafood restaurant has hit the headlines.
Chef Lee, who is known to be the "food nazi of Geylang", can be quite obnoxious, according to reviews posted on popular food site HungryGoWhere.
Potential customers visiting Sin Huat are also warned to be prepared for long waits and should avoid ordering from food stalls beside the restaurant.
"Sometimes people complain I serve too slow. I only have two hands and I'm the only cook. People may see me looking like I'm angry or impatient because I have no time to entertain them," Chef Lee explained.
His favourite customers are those who know how to appreciate good food.
"No point buying cheap food and it doesn't taste good. There's nothing special about that," said the owner of the restaurant who's hosted the likes of celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain.
Expensive meals have been in the limelight recently. Last month, Yahoo! Singapore ran a story about nasi lemak going for $8.30 along Upper Serangoon Road.
An expatriate diner was also charged $1,107.32 for a seafood lunch for two at Boat Quay's Forum Seafood Village Restaurant earlier this week, reported Today newspaper.
CASE has received 12 complaints for alleged overcharging by food and beverage outlets from January to May this year.
-- Yahoo!
she should blame the one who recommended her the restaurant for not telling her its expensive. not the restaurant/
btw the moment she knew there would be no menu she should have asked for the prices or leave immediately. not complain after that.
anyway dont patronise them anymore since its ex to her point of view.
for me i definitely wont eat at places that doesnt with no menu.