Chinese restaurant’s lobster scandal backflip after accusing influencers of faking food poisoning
A ritzy Chinese restaurant has issued a lengthy apology to influencers it accused of faking food poisoning and skipping on a $364 meal.
Restaurants & Bars
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A Chinese restaurant has issued a shock apology to a family of renowned food influencers following a contentious dispute over a Christmas Day lobster dinner.
The three-year-long saga began when Jennifer Do and her daughters, Belinda and Julie Nguyen, accompanied by Ms Do’s partner, visited The Silver Pearl eatery in Sydney’s Cabramatta on December 25, 2020.
They ordered a $364 live lobster served sashimi-style and a bottle of red wine. However, discontent arose when Jennifer’s partner expressed dissatisfaction with the lobster, leading the group to pay only for the wine, leaving the lobster untouched.
In response, the restaurant took to social media, issuing a “scammer alert”, accusing them of fabricating food poisoning to evade payment, blasting them online as “fraudulent diners.”
An Instagram post, which included a picture of the diners, labelled the women dishonest and entitled.
The incident escalated into a legal battle, culminating in a lawsuit filed by the three women in Federal Court.
The restaurant issued a lengthy apology on Thursday evening after the defamation case was dismissed.
“Jennifer’s partner expressed dissatisfaction with the lobster, a complaint we respectfully disagree with, maintaining that our food consistently meets the highest quality standards, and we vehemently deny any suggestion that our seafood was and is not fresh,” the restaurant’s statement said.
“However, we do accept that on 28 December 2020 we published a post that was made about Jennifer, Julie and Belinda.
“We now acknowledge that none of them ate any of the lobster and it was only Jennifer’s partner who did. We acknowledge that they paid for the wine.
“We are aware the posts gained significant traction and caused Jennifer, Belinda and Julie hurt and embarrassment.
“It was never our intention for the matter to escalate to the extent it did, and we are empathetic to them for any harm our post may have caused.”
In a subsequent statement to news.com.au, a Silver Pearl spokesperson said it had made the apology on its own volition.
“Following the dismissal of the case brought against Silver Pearl in Federal Court proceedings, Silver Pearl extended an apology to Jennifer Do and her daughters,” it read. “This apology, disseminated through official social media channels, reflects Silver Pearl’s commitment to empathy and understanding, without any admission of wrongdoing or liability.”
The restaurant said no damages were awarded to the family, as the case was dismissed.
“Silver Pearl reaffirms its dedication to providing exceptional service to all patrons and fostering positive community relationships,” the statement read.
“The establishment remains steadfast in upholding its reputation for integrity and respect.”
In an October radio interview with KIISfm hosts Kyle and Jackie O, Belinda disclosed the distressing aftermath of the incident.
“There were just so many threats going on, and at the time I was really depressed,” she shared.
She added that the backlash became so severe that the family had to involve law enforcement after threats to expose their home address surfaced online.
“Police had to intervene because of the ongoing threats. They wanted to release our home address as well,” Belinda said.
Originally published as Chinese restaurant’s lobster scandal backflip after accusing influencers of faking food poisoning