HK actress Michelle Ye shocked after restaurant staff asks: "Can you afford to dine here?"

Hong Kong actress Michelle Ye and a group of friends were left red-faced outside a high-end restaurant in Shanghai, after a staff member questioned if the group could afford the 600-yuan (S$129) minimum spend per person to dine there.

Michelle took to Weibo to complain about the poor service she experienced while dining at up-market European restaurant M on the Bund in the Chinese city.

She wrote in a post on June 13: "The service at M on the Bund is really bad.

"They didn't allow us to go in to have drinks at 9pm, and basically said very rudely: 'If you go in now, you have to order a main course that costs at least 600 yuan, can you afford it?'

Ye also uploaded a selfie with her friend, actress Monica Mok in the post, and jokingly added: "Monica, is it because you were dressed like a beggar today?"

In an official statement released by the restaurant on June 16, it said it was "mortified" by the staff's comment, and said the person involved has been "severely reprimanded".

"We are extremely sorry for any misunderstanding on the evening Ye Xuan (Yip Suen) was in the restaurant - we want to be clear that our policy is that everyone is welcome to our restaurant and there is no minimum spend; however, from 6-10pm the restaurant is reserved for diners.

"Michelle Garnaut, the owner of M on the Bund is extremely embarrassed at the situation and will be writing personally to Ye Xuan (Yip Suen) to apologize and to invite her and her friends back to the restaurant as our guests."

Ms Garnaut also reached out in a separate post on Weibo to invite Michelle and her friends back to the restaurant as her guests, stressing that everyone is welcome to dine at M on the Bund with no minimum spend required.

Michelle was in the city to attend a Huayi Brothers and Elle China event on June 14, reported Jaynestars.

At the event, Michelle was interviewed on the red carpet by entertainment news site On.CC about the incident.

She told On.CC: "The staff could have told us nicely."

"Instead, the person questioned if we would be able to afford the minimum 600 yuan per person - maybe because there were about 10 of us."

"It was very embarrassing. So we left."

"I have been to the restaurant a few years ago and it left a good impression, I didn't think it would turn out like this."

When asked if she would blacklist the restaurant, she said: "Most likely, I don't understand how the quality of service could be so bad."

So far, Michelle has yet to respond to the apology and offer of reparation by M on the Bund.

candicec@sph.com.sg