Reanna Ho of Perth, Australia, complained of the case of a bill amounting to $944.30 or Rs. 77,268 when she went to Canton Lane Chinese Restaurant with seven others. Most of the cost was associated with the ‘live lobster’ for $615 or Rs. 50,484; however, there were no clear price ranges availed upon entry into the restaurant.
She alleged that during the time the lobster dish was ordered, no one informed her of the weight of the lobster or the amount per kilogram. Even the five extra servings of noodles at $15 (Rs. 1,236) each were not discussed before. Ho took to Facebook and wrote: “I do have a feeling that something is amiss. So, though I paid the bill, I just couldn’t get over the feeling of being robbed.”.
When she called the restaurant back, Ho learned that the lobster weighed 4.5 pounds (2.04 kg), priced at $120 (Rs. 9,916) per pound. He felt that was too steep for the price of $60-$70 (Rs. 4,958-Rs. 5,780) per pound. She also questioned the weight of the lobster, as the head should have been much larger.
The local residents were also backing Ho and saying that the restaurant had no transparency, stating, “Who goes ahead and cooks a meal worth upwards of $600 (Rs. 49,680) without letting the diner know beforehand that this is going to be extremely expensive?”
In its defense, the restaurant acknowledged that the communication about the price and weight of the lobster was not clear but defended its method of cooking. They argued that the head of the lobster is removed before cooking, which has been a standard procedure since the restaurant was opened, because “we do not see the point of wasting the meat of the head just for display purposes.
