The bowl of bun rieu priced at 400,000 VND.

Immediately after receiving the report, the People's Committee of Bach Khoa Ward (Hai Ba Trung District, Hanoi) directed the police and health authorities to verify and clarify the incident.

For now, the crab noodle soup restaurant at 54 Bach Mai Street has been suspended while authorities continue to investigate price gouging and handle the case according to the law.

According to Ms. Hoang Thi Tuyet Lan, Chairwoman of the People's Committee of Bach Khoa Ward, the restaurant owner admitted the mistake when working with authorities.

They explained that the charge of 1.2 million VND for three bowls of crab noodle soup was meant as a "joke," but the customer believed it was real and transferred the money.

After realizing the mistake, the restaurant owner posted an apology on social media and attempted to contact the customer to refund the excess amount. However, as direct contact was not possible, the owner worked with the bank to verify the account and process the refund.

Previously, a social media user had posted about their unpleasant experience on the night of the first day of Tet at this restaurant.

According to their account, they went for a late-night meal with their family and did not ask for the price in advance. When paying, the owner charged 1.2 million VND for three bowls, shocking the customers.

After making the payment, they posted a warning on social media about Tet price gouging and advised others to check prices before ordering.

Following the viral incident, an account claiming to be a relative of the restaurant owner responded, asserting that the price of the dish had only increased by a maximum of 10,000 VND per bowl during Tet, with the highest price being 60,000 VND per full portion.

However, when the customer provided evidence and a bank transfer receipt of 1.2 million VND, the restaurant owner apologized and proposed a resolution by refunding the excess amount.

Nevertheless, the customer stated that when they were told the price of 1.2 million VND, their family had asked twice to confirm before proceeding with the transaction.

The case is still under investigation by the authorities.

Tien Phong