S'porean tourists get 'shock of their lives' after Genting Highlands restaurant charges S$293 for steamed fish

A Genting Highlands restaurant charged a group of 13 Singaporean and Chinese tourists RM902 (S$293.25) for a steamed silver catfish.

On Mar. 16, Jimmy, a Singaporean tourist, visited Loong Kee Restaurant at Gohtong Jaya with his friends, according to Stomp.

He said, "10 of us were Singaporean senior citizens," and that they got the "shock of our lives" when they saw the price of the river patin, also known as the silver catfish, they had ordered.

They were told that the fish weighed 2.7kg and was priced at RM338 (S$109.88) per kg.

In total, the bill came out to RM1,762 (S$572.88).

The group protested the bill, but to no avail, as they failed to question the price and weight of the fish before it was served.

Jimmy told Stomp that the restaurant had said the river patin was better than the river soon hock, which it was offering at RM228 (S$74.12) per kg.

"Never did we dream that an economical patin fish could be so ridiculously overpriced, so much beyond that of a good soon hock."

Soon hock, also known as the marble goby, has white flesh with a fine texture and is typically known as a high-priced fish.

River patin tasted 'normal'

In response to Stomp's query, a spokesperson for Loong Kee Restaurant said that an internal investigation was conducted following the billing concern raised.

"Based on our records, our staff followed the standard ordering procedure by explaining the fish pricing and weight to the customer. It was also communicated during the ordering process that the selected fish was relatively large and would be portioned before cooking."

The restaurant acknowledged that "there is room for improvement in how the portion size was communicated in this instance" and will enhance staff training and service communication protocols.

Loong Kee Restaurant's spokesperson said: "confusion or concern regarding billing can affect the overall dining experience, and we sincerely regret any distress or inconvenience caused".

Here's a picture of a menu from the restaurant back in 2024.

The prices for the fish are grouped under "season prices" and require asking the staff for a clearer price.

Top photo from Larry Hong/Google Maps and Nettie Chan/Google Maps