Be prepared to pay a high price but still be surprised
The story of food service prices during the tourist season is always of interest to many families when taking their family on vacation during the summer. Many people determine that when going to tourist destinations, they accept higher prices than usual because the business of food and beverage items in tourist areas always incurs many costs.
However, many people are still surprised when they receive the bill because the fee they need to pay is much higher than they imagined, even though they were mentally prepared.
Ms. Vu Thu Huong (in Hung Yen ) shared that on June 28, she and her family traveled to Ha Long (Quang Ninh). The group consists of 8 people, including children.
Because she was not familiar with the area, Ms. Huong decided to ask the taxi driver for advice.
“I asked the driver if he knew of any good restaurants. The driver immediately took me to a restaurant called Phuong Thuy Snail Supermarket in Bai Chay Ward,” Ms. Huong said.
When she arrived, she saw that the restaurant was quite crowded. Ms. Huong thought to herself, the food must be delicious, that's why it was so crowded, so she decided to have a meal here.
Because she wanted to treat her parents to a delicious seafood meal, she asked her father to order so he could choose the right dishes.
"As a man, my father ordered very quickly and simply, without asking too many questions. He ordered 10 crabs, 1 fish, a plate of stir-fried squid, steamed bamboo shoots, a bowl of sour soup, stir-fried vegetables and 2 bowls of rice... When ordering, we did not ask for the specific price, but only estimated the amount of food to suit our family's needs," said Ms. Huong.
According to Ms. Huong, the dishes are simple and not too elaborate, but in return she feels the fish and crabs are quite fresh. The most surprising dish is the bowl of crabs because it only has 5-6 crabs.
Ms. Huong plans to come back for more meals. "However, when I received the bill, I was quite shocked. I didn't expect that just a few dishes would cost nearly 6 million VND. I was about to ask the restaurant, but everyone in the group said that this was a “tourist area" so it was expensive, so I had to pay and leave," Ms. Huong said.
According to the female tourist, she had traveled to many attractive destinations in other provinces and cities, many of which were islands, far from the mainland, but she did not find seafood as expensive as the family restaurant she enjoyed in Ha Long.
Seafood such as crab, squid, and clams are all very expensive: Crab 900,000 VND/kg, squid 550,000 VND/kg, clams 450,000 VND/kg, fish 580,000 VND/kg...
After reading articles about eating in Ha Long last week, Ms. Huong remembered her story and shared the bill on social media.
Ms. Huong's bill of 5,000 VND less than 6 million VND surprised many people. Most people thought that this was a rather high fee.
“After that meal, I learned to ask carefully about the price before ordering at tourist attractions,” said Ms. Huong.
Dan Tri reporter conducted a quick survey on the prices of some seafood products in Ha Long.
Talking to a vendor at Ha Long market, Ms. T. said that Thung is a type of seafood, commonly known as Thung clam or Thung clam, belonging to the bivalve mollusk family. This type is also known as the "king of clams" because the meat is chewy, crispy, sweet and delicious. The price of valley depends on the size of each type.
Specifically, a large 1kg drum containing 3-4 crabs will cost over 200,000 VND/kg. For this type, the crab is as big as the mouth of a bowl. Meanwhile, a smaller drum, 1kg with 5-6 crabs, will cost over 150,000 VND/kg.
Some other items such as crabs cost 600,000 VND/kg, each kilogram has 5 crabs. Crabs cost from 500,000 VND to 600,000 VND/kg depending on the type.
The owner was surprised by the customer's feedback.
According to research, the restaurant where the group went to eat was Phuong Thuy snail supermarket located in Bai Chay ward, Ha Long city.
Talking to Dan Tri reporter, restaurant owner Mr. M. expressed surprise at customers' feedback on food prices.
According to this person, the business has a full price list posted at the entrance. When customers arrive at the restaurant, the staff will inform them of the price and show them the menu when choosing a dish. All seafood is weighed publicly, and the staff clearly states it on the bill for customers to check before processing.
The restaurant said it has a public price list for each seafood item outside (Photo: Character provided).
Regarding the seafood dishes that customers complaining were expensive, Mr. M. said that these were large seafood dishes with about 4 pieces per kilogram.
"It is completely normal for customers to buy 1.9kg and get 5-6 fish. All are weighed in front of the customer and approved before the staff takes them to be processed," he affirmed.
In response to the opinion that the selling price of 450,000 VND/kg for crab or 900,000 VND/kg for crab is "a bit high" compared to the general level, the business owner commented that "this is a popular price segment at restaurants in the Bai Chay area". This person said that this is a price that is appropriate for the quality and location.
"I was also surprised when customers thought the prices were expensive. Everything is weighed on the spot, the price is clearly quoted, and the customer agrees before doing it. If they don't agree, they can choose another restaurant.
We have never forced anyone to eat or prepare food without their consent. If there is anything unclear, customers can discuss it directly with me for a thorough explanation," the restaurant owner added.
Source: https://dantri.com.vn/du-lich/khach-thay-dat-do-khi-an-quan-oc-o-ha-long-8-nguoi-het-gan-6-trieu-dong-20250707213745073.htm
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