An Aussie diner was left with a “bad taste” in her mouth after visiting a popular Chinese restaurant where a dish she ordered ended up costing a whopping $615 — sparking a debate about price transparency.
Reanne Ho issued a warning after eating at Canton Lane Chinese Restaurant in Perth on January 3, claiming staff didn’t clearly inform her of the eye-watering price tag of the lobster noodle dish she ordered before serving it. The lobster was charged by weight, rather than a set price, but she claims it was only when she got the bill that the huge price tag was revealed.
“I wanted to warn others because I believe no one should have to go through something like this, especially when it comes to transparency and pricing,” she told Yahoo News Australia. “$600 for one dish does seem very unusual to me, especially without being clearly informed about the price and weight beforehand.”
However, after sharing details of her dining experience online, staff at Canton Lane issued a statement denying they deceived Reanne and defended their pricing, but admitted ‘there is a negligence on our part’.
Diner ‘wasn’t informed’ of $600 price tag
Reanne, who visited the restaurant in a large group, claims for this kind of dish, it’s “standard” to have the restaurant show the table the seafood before it’s cooked. However, she claims in this instance, this didn’t happen.
“This is especially important when it comes to expensive items like lobster or fish,” she said.
The business lists its lobster at “market price” on its menus. When the bill came, Reanne said it was a “real shock”, and questioned staff it could be a mistake. “They assured me it was correct,” she said.
Canton Lane has defended the price of its lobster dish. Source: Canton Lane
Reanne said while the table paid the bill totalling $944.30, the next day she “couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off” so phoned the restaurant to clarify. She said it was explained to her over the phone that the large lobster was 4.5 pounds, around 2kg, and was priced at $120 per pound, with five portions of noodles added making the dish $615.
“When we ordered, the waiter did not clearly inform us of the lobster’s weight and price, nor did they mention it was a ‘jumbo lobster’,” she said.
A social media post about the ordeal sparked hundreds of responses debating the issue.
“It’s not standard practice to weigh and present seafood,” one said. “Ask if unsure and don’t assume,” another responded.
“What an expensive price,” said another more sympathetic local.
Restaurant responds to diner’s claims
Canton Lane, based in the suburb of Belmont, responded on their own social media page defending the incident and even shared CCTV evidence of the lobster being taken from the live seafood tank before being prepared.
“Yes, there is negligence on our part where the price and weight were not informed to the customer. However, there is definitely no deceiving involved,” the small business said.
“When it comes to the pricing, customers need to understand that there is a difference between buying seafood yourself outside and having live seafood in the restaurant. There are other costs involved other than just the live seafood itself. “
The restaurant added that at this time of year, prices of lobster “soar up real quick”, adding the announcement of live lobster export to China meant that the prices soared “real quick”.
“This is something that also needs to be taken into consideration,” they said.
“We have been running this restaurant for 8 years and have been running it smoothly. We do not need to deceive anyone in any way in order to sustain our business.”
Canton Lane released CCTV footage of the woman’s lobster being prepared. Source: Canton Lane
Lobster exports to China resumed in ‘major win’
Last week, the same week Reanne ordered the dish, it was announced that a four-year ban on exporting live Western rock lobsters to China was finally lifted.
In 2020, the Chinese government imposed restrictions on the importation of Australian goods including lobster, wine, beef and barley.
Live rock lobsters were the last item to have the trade barrier lifted with the Australian government calling the move a “major win” for the hard-hit industry.
Trade and Tourism Minister Don Farrell called the move a “fantastic outcome for the Australian lobster industry and for Chinese consumers who will be able to enjoy delicious Australian live rock lobster in time for Lunar New Year celebrations.
“It is in Australia’s national interest to have a constructive relationship with our largest trading partner and to have Australia’s top exports purchased by China’s consumers,” he said. “The Government will continue to support Australian businesses sell their world-class products on the global stage.”
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