'Slaughtered me like a sheep': Woman in China patronises friend's new eatery, gets $1,400 bill

She wanted to support her friend's business but ended up getting ripped off.

The woman, surnamed Chen, was planning to dine with a group of friends and decided to visit her friend's new restaurant in Shenzhen, China, reported the South China Morning Post on Wednesday (June 7). 

According to the menu, the average price for a person to dine there was 420 yuan (S$80), which Chen found acceptable. 

Unfortunately, her restaurant owner friend had other ideas. 

Upon arrival, Chen found that a full meal comprising 11 dishes, a bottle of red wine, snacks and fruit had been pre-ordered for her group of six.

“I thought that if he had ordered, we could just go along with it. After all, he knows what dishes are delicious,” said Chen.

The shock came when she was presented with a bill of 7,472 yuan at the end of the meal. The sum also included a service fee of 700 yuan.

When she scrutinised the receipt, Chen realised that the pre-ordered dishes consisted of expensive items on the menu, such as conch and sea cucumber, which cost 1,760 yuan and 2,112 yuan respectively. 

Even the common dishes were pricier than those in an average restaurant. The yam dish cost 98 yuan, while the boiled eggplant was priced at 128 yuan.

Chen also lamented the lack of service at the restaurant, sharing that they were made to pour the red wine for themselves.

“This friend is so deceitful. I wanted to support his business, but he slaughtered me like a sheep," she said.

Although she received 3,000 yuan refund from her friend, it didn't help to quell public anger.

Netizens were quick to fault the restaurant owner, and even left negative reviews of his business online. 

"Six women were pre-ordered more than 10 dishes. Even if we overlook the fact that he intentionally ordered pricey dishes, the size of the order itself already indicates that he is not a kind person," one of them wrote.

Another said: "If this is how he treats his friends, imagine how he treats regular customers."

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claudiatan@asiaone.com