Diner feels cheated after paying for 800g crab, which ‘shrinks’ to 350g after being cooked at Tanjong Pagar seafood restaurant
A woman has complained about being overcharged after she paid for an 800g crab, only for it to weigh 350g after it was cooked.
The unhappy diner, who declined to be named, said she ordered a claypot crab vermicelli soup dish on Dec 10 at Mellben Signature in Tanjong Pagar Plaza.
She told 8world: “I asked the waitress about the crab’s weight when ordering my food. She told me they only had 1kg crabs.”
Nonetheless, she paid for an 800g crab, but noticed that diners at the table next to her also ordered the dish. “I felt that their crab was bigger than mine,” she said.
She shared a photo of the crab on the weighing scale and asked why it “shrunk” to 350g after being cooked in the claypot.
“I don’t want to question the restaurant’s integrity, but I can’t figure out why I’m being charged for a 800g crab even though it weighed less than that after its claws and internal organs were removed,” she said.
Mellben, in turn, has refuted the diner’s allegation and said that she was mistaken about the crab’s weight.
“Her bill showed that the crab weighed between 800g and 1,110g. We don’t inform diners the exact weight of the crab when they’re placing orders because we have to weigh it to know.”
The restaurant also clarified that the woman had a male crab while the table next to her had ordered a female crab with roe, which is why their sizes were different.
According to crab delivery company 8 Crabs, the crustacean usually loses 25 per cent of its weight after preparation – which involves cleaning and gutting – and another 10 per cent during cooking. Crabs can also look bigger due to their small claws or bigger head shell and body.
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