A woman in Singapore, Stephanie, shared that she was charged a whopping $608 for a plate of lobster noodles at Paradise Teochew Restaurant.
She told STOMP that she had visited the restaurant at Ngee Ann City with her companions to celebrate her father’s birthday on 1 April, spending a total of $3,050.67 for about 12 people.
She said that she had ordered the lobster la mian, along with a few other dishes, which she described as only being “so-so” and not up to her expectations.
However, she highlighted the exorbitant price of the lobster noodles, which set her back $608.
She said that the staff allegedly told her that it was because the lobster was from Australia, and that’s why it was more expensive.
Stephanie added that the staff should have told her how much it was per gram at the start when she recommended the dish to her, and that she didn’t advise her on the prices first before taking their orders.
She added that the presentation of the noodles also came deshelled without the lobster head, tail or shell; and that there was no proof to show that the lobster was fresh.
She said that it might have been a frozen lobster for all she knows.
On her experience with the restaurant, she said that she advises people who want to frequent that “atas” restaurant to check the prices first before placing an order.
Restaurant responds
A spokesperson for Paradise Teochew Restaurant responded to the woman and said that they were sorry for any miscommunication.
They claimed that they only use fresh live whole lobsters and not frozen ones.
They said that they are sorry to hear about the customer’s unpleasant experience and “would like to extend our sincere apologies.”
They apologised for any miscommunication that may have arisen from the pricing of the dish, and added that while they do indicate the fixed price of premium Australian lobsters in their menu, they “understand” that not all customers may be aware.
They added that they will be “reviewing” their staff training protocols to make sure that all their customers are provided with complete information about their menu pricing.
On the deemed-subpar appearance of the dish, they said that they “understand that the customer may have expected a whole lobster,” and that they “regret any disappointment caused.”