8 Chinese tourists rack-up $4,390 bill at an Israeli hummus joint

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What did they consume to merit such a scandalous tab?

Restaurant owner Jawdat Ibrahim said the charges were fair, listing bottles of expensive alcohol and an entire lamb among the items ordered. He also said that the group asked for a private room, which meant closing down part of the famous establishment on a busy Friday night.

Yossi Fattal, chief executive of the Incoming Tour Operators Association, however, accused Ibrahim of putting one over on the visitors. He said he publicized the bill as a way of shaming those who try to cheat unsuspecting tourists.

Now, Israel’s Foreign Ministry and the Israeli Embassy in China are attempting to track down the eight tourists to find out what happened. Were they unhappy with the cost? Did they feel they were ripped off?

According to Ibrahim, he was asked to close off a room at the restaurant, order Beluga vodka at about $400 a bottle and serve 30 kilograms of lamb, in addition to other items.

The Israeli financial newspaper Globes published a copy of the bill last week:

4,000 shekelsfor a private room ($1,064)
650 shekels for hors d'oeuvres and salads ($173)
5,900 shekels for alcohol ($1,569)
3,150 shekels for main courses ($838)
1,350 shekels for desserts ($359)
1,500 shekels for service charge ($400)
Total: 16,500 shekels, or about $4,390

“They knew the prices in advance. If they thought that they had been cheated, why did they add a 10 percent tip to the bill?” said Ibrahim, according to the newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth on Sunday.

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