"Is This 70,000 Won for Four People?" Jeju Braised Cutlassfish Restaurant Digs Its Own Grave While Trying to Explain

[Financial News] A controversy over the portion size of a four-person serving at a braised cutlassfish restaurant in Jeju Province is spreading. After a customer complained that the portion was absurdly small, the restaurant insisted that it had followed the standard serving size and even uploaded a cooking video. However, the footage exposed how inadequate the portion was compared with the one-person serving, triggering an even stronger backlash.
The controversy began with a post by a person identified as Customer A, who said they had recently visited a newly opened braised cutlassfish restaurant in Seogwipo, Jeju Province, with their family, according to online communities and social media on the 10th.
Customer A paid approximately 90,000 won in total after ordering a four-person serving of braised cutlassfish for 72,000 won, along with dombegogi and steamed egg. However, after posting a photo of the food served in a small pot, A complained, "Honestly, it did not look like a four-person serving. Even before anyone touched it, there were at most eight to 10 pieces of cutlassfish. I was still hungry after finishing the meal."
When Customer A complained after the meal, the restaurant claimed, "The standard serving for four people is 22 pieces of cutlassfish," insisting that the food had been served properly. In an official statement posted on social media on the 8th, the restaurant countered, "The portion may look different depending on the camera angle and arrangement. There are also differences in the size and cuts of the fish, but we did not intentionally provide a smaller portion," and released CCTV footage and comparative cooking videos from the time.
However, the explanatory video, which the restaurant uploaded to quell the controversy, instead drew fierce criticism. According to the footage released by the restaurant, the one-person serving contained seven pieces of cutlassfish, two pieces of potato, and one piece of radish. The four-person serving contained 22 pieces of cutlassfish, two pieces of potato, and two pieces of radish.
Even by simple calculation, the restaurant charged the four-person price—four times the price of one serving—but provided only 22 pieces of the main ingredient, cutlassfish. That was about 3.1 times the one-person serving, falling short of the 28 pieces that four one-person servings would contain. The vegetable portions were especially striking: although it was a four-person serving, it contained the same two pieces of potato as the one-person serving and only one additional piece of radish, for a total of two.
Viewers who saw the video expressed disbelief, saying, "Are four people supposed to split two pieces each of potato and radish?" "It would be better to order four separate one-person servings," and "They tried to explain themselves but ended up digging their own grave." Some also pointed out, "They should disclose the weight in grams rather than the number of pieces for clarity," and "The chronic problem of standard portions at restaurants in Jeju Province’s tourist areas has surfaced again."
Even after the restaurant’s explanation, Customer A said, "My disappointment at what I experienced at the restaurant has not changed," adding, "I hope consumers will review the materials from both sides and make their own judgments."

[email protected] Moon Young-jin Reporter