Would You Pay $96 For Two Plates Of Seafood Hor Fun?

How about $60 for 2x "Union" Cucumbers, $72 for 2x Hong Kong Kailan or $72 for 2x Spinach Toufu?

That was how much a customer is being charged for at Chen Fu Ji （陈福记）, a restaurant offering chinese cuisine at Riverside Point, Clarke Quay.

The bill for the entire meal adds up to $3922.70!

(click to enlarge)

I was astonished when I saw Yang Ailin's post on Facebook.

Looking through the comments, I then realised that it was for a group of 17 people.

But still, how did they end up having a full course meal without knowing the full price? Did they not go through the menu?

So it seems the arrangements were made by the restaurant's staff at the request of Yang Ailin's boss. Well, if you leave the decision to the staff, of course they will serve you all their expensive dishes, yes?

If I am not mistaken, this should be a company treat by Yang Ailin's boss but she was the one who discovered the discrepancy. I assume the name "He Zhong Qiong" found on the credit card receipt is the name of her boss?

 Well, I could be wrong so do correct me if need be.

I have not visited the restaurant myself though I have long heard about the amazing fried rice that they are reputed for. I remembered that one of the chinese radio station did a 'live' food-tasting session there (which is how I found out about this fried rice) many years back and I had already wanted to try the fried rice which the DJs were raving about then but now, I am not so sure anymore...

I have no comments about the price of seafood as it may vary daily due to the market rate and I do know that exotic seafood like the Dragon Garoupa are pricier but $72 for two servings of vegetables is pretty exhorbitant (to me).

Anyway, this was what Yang Ailin has posted on her Facebook wall.

via

(click to enlarge)

Here's the breakdown of the items on the receipt which Yang Ailin's boss was being charged for.

According to her, the price of the deep fried squid was wrongly keyed in as $704. The amount has been crossed out with pen and $64 was written in place of it on the receipt.

QTY	ITEM	SGD $
20	Pu Er (1 person)	80
22	Deep Fried Squid (L)	704 64
1	Chivas Regal (18 yr)	368
1	XO Jelly Fish	30
1	Jelly Fish	30
2	Union Cucumber	60
1	Dragon Garoupa	237.60
2	Spinach Toufu	72
2	Crispy Roasted Duck (half)	56
12	Golden Imperial Fried Rice	180
2	Seafood Hor Fun w/egg (L)	96
14	Boiled Live Prawns (100g)	137.20
20	Steamed Bamboo Clams	360
140	Sri Lanka Crab (Above 2kg)	812
4	Snack	8
4	Fish Snack	24
20	Towel	6
2	Hong Kong Kailan (L)	72
	Sub Total	3,332.80 2692.80
	10% Service Charge	333.28 269.20
	7% GST	256.63 207.30
	Total	3922.70 3169.30

The customer has been overcharged by $753.40 ($3922.70-$3169.30) which, in my opinion, is a gross mistake that should not have occurred. The figures in red were the adjustments I made after correcting the cost of deep fried squid that have purportedly been keyed in by mistake but still!

I am puzzled how much Yang Ailin (or rather, her boss) actually paid for the meal. If the price of the deep fried squid was adjusted, she should have paid $3169.30 but she mentioned on her Facebook wall that she still have to pay $3922.70 after deductions.

So, which is which? $3922.70 or $3169.30?

I am also puzzled over some of the items shown in the receipt. Did the customer order 140 Sri Lanka Crabs or was there 140kg of it? And was it 22 plates of deep fried squid or 22 pieces of it?

Plenty of burning questions to be answered!

Let's hope the restaurant's management would come out to clarify all doubts.

Updated (April 29): Chen Fu Ji's side of the story