Man leaves date to foot S$14K bill at Michelin-starred Hong Kong restaurant, later arrested
The sky-high bill was driven up by a single bottle of vintage champagne costing more than S$11,000.
Man leaves date with S$14,000 bill at luxury Hong Kong restaurant
A man was arrested after leaving his date with a staggering HK$84,453.60 (S$13,900) bill at Man Wah, a Michelin-starred Chinese restaurant at the Mandarin Oriental hotel in Hong Kong last Thursday (28 Aug).
Source: Man Wah at Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong on Facebook
After dining, the man, who claimed to be a lawyer, excused himself to go to the restroom, but never returned.
His date, a 31-year-old woman, tried to look for him and contact him, but was unsuccessful.
Date billed for luxury dinner and champagne
Photos of the receipt circulating online show that the pair ordered two premium set meals, priced at HK$2,388 (S$390) per person, featuring high-end dishes such as whole abalone, wagyu beef, and bird’s nest.
Source: Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group
But it was the bottle of 2002 Krug Clos d’Ambonnay champagne — listed at HK$71,800 (S$11,800) — that sent the bill soaring.
With the addition of two servings of 10-year Pu’er tea and a 10% service charge, the total came to HK$84,453.60.
Source: HK01
Unable to pay the massive bill herself, the woman had to call a friend to settle it.
She then reported the incident to the police at around 10pm.
Man apparently premeditated scam, was recently released from prison
The two reportedly met about a year ago through the messaging platform Telegram, where the 23-year-old man falsely introduced himself as a lawyer.
Sources suggest the man may have premeditated the “scam”, as he had called the hotel in advance to book the table and reserve the bottle of vintage champagne.
Source: The Champagne Club, for illustration purposes only
The man was arrested on Friday (29 Aug) on suspicion of obtaining property by deception.
He was released on bail on Sunday (31 Aug) but must report to the police in late September for further investigation.
No charges have yet been filed in relation to the incident.
According to The Standard, the man was recently released from prison after serving nearly three years for sexual offences.
In 2023, at age 19, he was jailed for luring women to hotels and coercing them into non-consensual sexual acts.