Japanese Tourist Shocked by $938 Crab Bill, Calls Police Over “Overpriced” Seafood at Singapore Restaurant

A Japanese tourist’s experience at Seafood Paradise in Singapore took a surprising turn when her group was billed over $900 for an Alaskan King Crab dish, leading her to call the police over what she felt was an “overpriced” meal.

Paradise Group, which owns Seafood Paradise, released a statement on Wednesday (Sept 20) addressing the incident and defending its pricing practices. According to the restaurant group, staff had twice communicated the Alaskan King Crab’s price to the diners—$26.80 per 100g, matching the rate of the Scotland Snow Crab listed on the menu. The crab, weighing 3.5kg, was even brought to the table before preparation to prevent any misunderstanding.

The tourists, led by 50-year-old freelancer Junko Shinba, claimed that while a waiter recommended the crab, the group was not made aware that the price applied per 100 grams. Shinba said they were “speechless” at the total bill of $1,322.37, with the chilli crab dish alone costing $938. Other dishes, such as Black Pepper Beef Fried Rice, were priced under $20 each.

After being shown the final bill, Shinba requested police intervention, claiming her group had not been informed of the crab’s weight. Responding to AsiaOne, Paradise Group clarified that its staff had communicated the details clearly and displayed the live crab to the group before cooking.

The restaurant ultimately offered a goodwill discount of $107.40, equivalent to 400 grams of crab, as one customer stated they didn’t have enough money. The meal was then paid by Shinba’s friend via credit card. Following the incident, Shinba also reached out to the Singapore Tourism Board and the Consumers Association of Singapore.

Paradise Group maintains that its pricing practices are transparent and emphasized that live seafood is typically sold as a whole item rather than in partial portions, consistent with industry norms in Singapore. The restaurant also noted that Alaskan King Crab prices at similar establishments range from $25.80 to $29.80 per 100 grams.