A woman from Perth recently took to social media to express her outrage after being presented with a staggering bill at Canton Lane Chinese Restaurant. According to the New York Post, Reanna Ho and her group of eight dined at the restaurant on Friday night, ordering eight dishes, including a "live lobster" that single-handedly hiked the bill to $944.30 ($584.18 USD).
The lobster, priced at $615 (USD $380), was the main contributor to the hefty bill. Although Ms Ho was informed that the price would vary based on weight and market price, the specifics were not disclosed when the dish arrived. Furthermore, Ms Ho claims that the staff failed to inform her that the additional servings of noodles would cost $15 each.
"Though I paid the bill, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was off," she wrote in a Facebook post.
A follow-up phone call to the restaurant the next day uncovered the reason behind the hefty price tag: the 4.5-pound (2.04kg) lobster came with a price of $120 (USD 74.25) per pound. However, Ms Ho alleges that this crucial detail was not disclosed to her at the time of ordering.
"We didn't assume the lobster would be cheap, but based on common sense, the typical price per pound is usually around $60-$70 ($37-USD 43). Even during the festive period, it seems unreasonable for the price to skyrocket to $120 (USD 74.25) per pound. If the lobster truly weighed 4.5 pounds, the head should have been huge and noticeable, but none of us at the table saw it," she added.
The woman's online post has sparked a heated debate about transparency in restaurant pricing and the importance of clear communication between staff and customers. Internet users agreed that the restaurant should have been more transparent about the lobster's price. Many expressed sympathy for her situation, stating that clear communication about costs is essential to avoid such disputes.
The restaurant's management acknowledged that the price and weight of the lobster were not clearly communicated, but maintained that their actions were justified. In a statement, they explained that the lobster's head is removed before cooking, a practice that has been their standard procedure since the restaurant's inception.
The management further attributed the high cost to external factors, citing rising market prices due to the festive season and increased exports to China, which have driven up demand and, consequently, prices.
"We do not see the point of wasting the meat of the head just for display purposes. We have been running this restaurant for 8 years and have been running it smoothly," the management said.
