QINGDAO • A restaurant in the eastern Chinese city of Qingdao has been fined 90,000 yuan (S$19,900) for misleading consumers over what has been dubbed the "38 yuan large prawn" scandal, which has sparked a public outcry online.

A diner said that he ordered a prawn dish marked as 38 yuan on the menu of Shande Live Seafood and Barbecue in Qingdao, a popular tourist spot in Shandong province, during the National Day holiday. But he was billed 1,520 yuan after he was told that the price was per prawn - a fact stated only in small print on the menu.

The man immediately sought help from the government, but to no avail.

An official in charge of market regulation has since been suspended. Other officials in charge of pricing and tourism have also been given official warnings.

XINHUA