• expired

Shark Fin Inn Restaurant - Melbourne - $20 Rebate for $120 Spend [AMEX]

72

Mod: We have received correspondence from an environmental group requesting removal of this deal. As OzBargain is a discussion forum that encourages free and open discussion for Australians, we welcome users to discuss Shark Finning in the comments.


Another Amex deal, this time for one of the old Yumcha favourites in Melbourne, Shark Fin.
Time to round up some friends and go visit Shark Fin. :)

I saw this on my Amex issued card, so do not know if it is on the bank issued cards.

Details are as below, directly from the amex website.

Shark Fin
FOOD & DRINK / Spend $120 or more, get $20 credit
Register by saving the offer to Card and spend $120 or more, in one transaction, at a Shark Fin restaurant before 13/10/14 to receive one $20 statement credit. Limited to the first 2,000 Cards to register.
Please read the Offer Terms Show the Terms for this Shark Fin offer

Expires
13/10/2014

  • Offer only applies to spend on this Card. It does not apply to spend on any supplementary Cards on this account or any other American Express Cards you might hold. Supplementary Cards qualify as an Eligible Card only if the Card is saved for the offer separately.
  • Card Members must register by saving this offer to this Card and spend $120 or more on their registered Card at a Shark Fin restaurant, in one transaction between 02/09/14 and 13/10/14 to receive one $20 statement credit.
  • Participation is limited to the first 2,000 Cards to register, and the offer is limited to one statement credit per registered Card.
  • Gift Card purchases and purchases made other retailers are excluded.
  • Statement credit is not redeemable for cash or other payment form.
  • Statement credit is normally issued within 3-5 days of the eligible spend, but may take up to 8 weeks to appear in your account.
  • Statement credit may not be applied to your Card Account if it has been suspended or cancelled and may be reversed if qualifying purchase is returned or cancelled.

Full terms and conditions available here
LOCATIONS NEARBY

  • 50 LITTLE BOURKE ST, MELBOURNE, 3000
  • 131 LITTLE BOURKE ST, MELBOURNE, 3000
  • 328 CHELTENHAM RD, KEYSBOROUGH, 3173

Referral Links

Business Explorer Card: random (3)

Referrer: 40,000 Reward Points

Centurion Personal Charge Card: random (7)

Referee gets 200,000 MR points. Referrer gets 150,000 MR points.

Related Stores

American Express
American Express

closed Comments

  • +1

    I confirm it is on bank issued cards - if you link it with your TripAdvisor account: http://www.tripadvisor.com.au/Amex-c3

  • not on my BMW Amex Card :(

    • +1

      Try checking your TripAdvisor account. That's where I saw it for my bank issued card.

      • You're right! Found it. Thanks!

  • +5

    Here's my experience last time I went to Shark Fin in Chinatown with my family:

    We ran out of tea (in the ceramic pot that's present at most Chinese restaurants) so we asked for more. The manager (he was wearing a suit that distinguished him from the waiters) came up to us without saying anything or even making eye contact. Took the lid off the pot, then put his thumb INSIDE the pot to move it, filled it up with hot water from one of the trollies and shoved it back on to the table again without even looking at us or where he was putting it.

    Considering how much they charge for dishes they sure like to remind you that they own the place and you are merely given the privilege to eat their food.

    I won't Neg this deal as it's not AMEX's fault but I highly urge you to not eat there.

    • +2

      had too many of these experiences like you mentioned in other chinese restaurants.
      Ate at Dainty Sichuan Food in south yarra. Good food but really bad service with some serious attitude

    • You gotta get over that, it's a cultural thing. Same type of 'service' in pretty all yum cha restaurants.

      • +5

        No, it really isn't. I am Chinese myself. I know of many Chinese restaurants where the staff don't treat you like dog poo and they don't ask for the unworthy prices Shark Fin does.

        I mentioned the eye contact and lack of respect as a sign of the treatment we were given. It was not yumcha, it was just a normal weekday dinner. In fact, the restaurant was not even busy but as we were not served more tea for 10 minutes when the waiters and the managers just stood around doing nothing at all I had to call one of them over to get more tea (yes, my lid was half open and we placed the pot at the end of the table to make sure they can see).

        Why does everyone think this is OK? "it's a cultural thing" or that you're getting offended because you're a gwailo/Chinese/xxx? No. It's just bad service.

        • I don't know. It kind of sounds normal to me as well. Most Chinese restaurants aren't known for great service. Some yumcha places (especially in the suburbs) will make the effort, but I think as a standard, they don't bother.

          I'm also Chinese background.

  • +12

    I want to neg this for the name of the restaurant http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shark_finning

    • +3

      Agreed. Why would anyone want to associate their restaurant name with such a barbaric practice?

    • The name of the restaurant is Shark Fin. You're being a little bit knee jerky with your reaction to it IMO.

      • +9

        Of course, the Chinese restaurant's naming is entirely coincidental and has nothing to do with the consumption of shark fins in Chinese cuisine, which are largely harvested by shark finning. Nope!

      • +5

        According to this:
        http://www.truelocal.com.au/business/shark-fin-inn-restauran…
        … they actually serve shark fin soup also.

        Negged.

        • +7

          Its probably fake Shark Fin, so you cant really neg it if you haven't tried it. Not many restaurants in Melbourne actually serve REAL shark fin soup, as it is generally quite expensive. The shark fin they put in their one is most likely "vermicelli rice noodles" or "Lard which is created into fibers".

          Also, if they use "fresh" shark fin then it is actually quite ethically obtained. As they take it from the sharks that go into your other cuisines. Not many people know, but the most common fish that people eat at fish and chips stores is shark meat called Flake….

          They are almost certain that if they are using shark fin, they are going to be using fresh shark fin, as dried imported shark fin is usually 2-5x the price, and harder to prepare.

          Yes there is bad practice with shark finning, especially in Asia with their dried shark fin, however fresh ones are usually done in a more ethical way. If you think this is unethical then you need to stop going to your local fish and chips store and stop eating Flake.

          I don't know why people negging this because of their name Shark Fin. lol. They named their restaurant after a food item, they didn't name their restaurant "Shark Finning".

          People get their facts straight before assuming they are doing something unethical with shark finning.

        • -7

          Your argument is invalid. Its like naming a bar the baby seal club, Yoshi's whale burger inn or Mohommad's jihad joint(no offense). The name is offensive to some people even borderline illegal (not trying to flame) and they are profiting from it.

          People get their facts straight before assuming they are doing something unethical with shark finning

          So If I called my restaurant cheap Indian labour Joe's but had an all legal staff it would be all sweet?

        • +3

          Geez some people are really sensitive about this stuff, why are people so easily offended by things these days? Everything has to be so politically correct to avoid offending people. Nobody is forcing you to go to Mohammed's Jihad Joint or the Baby Seal Club, both names which I find more provocative (and hilarious) than Shark Fin anyway. It's not like it's the Nazi White Supremacist Holocaust Reenactment Kill-the-Jews Aryan restaurant - it's just a bloody Shark Fin, a component of an iconic Chinese dish. If anything, the people who named the restaurant should be offended that people take offense to what is in essence an established part of their cultural cuisine.

          And yes, if you had a restaurant called Cheap Indian Labour Joe's with an all legal staff, it would not only be sweet, but also (profanity) hilarious and I would be a regular patron of said fine establishment.

          In summary, your argument is invalid because the conclusion does not follow from the premises, which I also reject on the basis of their fallibility. Also, harden the (profanity) up sunshine, the world is an offensive place.

        • @revacious:
          Watch this, maybe it will give you some insight in naming something so atrocious.

          Killing a natural predator that has survived tens of thousands of years of evolution to reamin king of the food chain in an unfair fight vs the worlds gretest predator (man) sickens me. You might argue that they dont serve real shark fin, then why name the place shark fin then. Bizarre.

        • @thedude23:
          Life is unfair mate, and the harsh reality is nobody really cares if it sickens you. Who made you the king of morality anyway? Who made it your job to judge what is and isn't appropriate on moral grounds? I mean your argument doesn't even make sense, why should an "unfair fight" sicken you? There are plenty of other objectionable things in the world, goodness knows how you survive sitting up there on your moral high horse.

          They named it shark fin because sharks fin is a cultural icon. I don't think it's bizarre at all; in fact it makes perfect sense.

        • @thedude23: You do notice that they name themselves shark fin not shark finning.

          Therefore they aren't actually naming themselves something so atrocious.
          Also if you read up online, it is illegal to shark finning in Australia. The shark fin must be attached to the shark when they land.

          Places name themselves shark fin, because they are there to trick Ghost Men (nat gwai lo). Its like going into a Chinese Resturant and ordering Lemon chicken which is a common nat gwai lo dish. lol.

          It may use shark fin, however in order to avoid getting sued, they will just add a strand or 2 so technically you are still getting Shark Fin soup, just 99% of it isn't shark fin. lol.

          Not sure what you are arguing about now, as you have no basis as to how fresh shark fin is obtained in Australia, you only heard things, and just got pissed off for nothing.

          It is interesting though, how you totally ignore my point about eating shark at the local fish and chip store. lol.

  • +4

    If you want to neg the deal, you really should go to every restaurant review site to neg them! not the deal or OP.
    I'm against Shark Finning 100%, never ordered these after I knew how it was harvested and it's barbaric!

    However, for those wants eye contact with everything, you'd better keep away from most Chinese restaurant. Because the Yum Cha CUSTOM for refill of a tea pot is you half open the lid and it'll be filled quickly (if NOT quick enough it's bad service), all you need to do the thank the act is the tap you fingers in a special way. you'll see it's acknowledged back in a subtle way. I'd rather keep the conversation going with my dinning group and it's not so good to be real nice and chatty for the waiter to interrupt.

    Of course, I wont like anyone stick the thumb inside the tea pot! it's normally very hot inside unless you leave it too long.

    • +1

      No, as this is a free bargain site for people to find good deals, and this is advertising their place to us as an above average deal. Review sites are for people to share to their experience about a place good or bad, and for other people who specifically intend to go to that place to gain some knowledge of it before hand.

  • Shark fin is over priced and rated IMO.

    • Yup. The best Yumcha which I always go to is Taipan in Doncaster.

      I've been to pretty much every yum cha place in Melbourne, and the taste of that one never changes, even after 20 years. I find quite a lot of yumcha places are good, then they get bought out by some mainland chinese folks and it then turns crappy, this place in Doncaster has been owned by the same guys since 20+ years ago and they still taste as good as before.

      If you want the yumcha atmosphere, then you must go here on a weekend. If you want to go there for a meeting place and chat about business then it isn't as comfortable as its not that quiet.

  • +4

    LOL what a bunch of gwailos :-P

    • +3

      All these Ghost Men!

      However I do agree with their opinions about shark fin, but don't agree with their ignorance in assuming Australia has unethical shark fins. I highly doubt they are using dried shark fin (imported), as it costs ALOT more money.

      In Australia it is illegal to shark finning, the fin must be attached to the shark when it reaches land. Which means they can only remove the fins and then the meat goes out to other places to be eaten. So technically speaking, you can't complain about anything since you are just eating another part of a shark when you are eating fresh shark fin in Australia.

  • Can someone please update title to say it was only for AMEX issued cards but not Bank ones. Thanks.

  • How is negging a deal based on the restaurant name not an inappropriate use of a vote?

    Rascist mods or just inconsistent?

    • Judging by the negs, racist ozb community. But only in secret.

      • You know you can see who had negged a deal yeah?

      • -2

        I have lived and worked in China, and love it there. But feel free to make baseless assumptions.

  • +1

    I love reading ozbargain posts. I can't decide which side to take because everyone has such good arguments :) gwailos ha ha

  • +1

    Woh lack of cultural awareness in Australia to think it's appropriate to call your restaurant 'Shark Fin'.

    • +1

      i'm with you buddy, thats why i avoid hogs breath… why the hell would i eat food that smells like poo!

  • +1

    I would go so far as to say that all the haters in this thread so far are huge hypocrites. I know that the practice of shark finning is barbaric and cruel - this is a fact. However, eaten an egg lately? As an OzBargainer you're probably buying cage eggs 'coz they're the cheapest. How's that for cruel and barbaric?

    Only a hardcore vegan would be above reproach here. Just because your animal products come from a source that is kept from sensitive eyes and out of polite conversation doesn't make you any less cruel - just varying degrees of hypocritical.

    If anybody bothered to look into it at all, the Shark Fin group of restaurants have been around since the 80's - well before the barbaric practices came to light and the food itself fell out of fashion. If you want to talk about a brand that's fallen out of fashion, go have a chat with the guy that owns the Redskins baseball team…

    • When you catch me poaching a chicken in its wild habitat, clipping its wings/legs and stealing its eggs and leaving it to die then I will listen to your argument.

      • Actually you just fulfilled half of your argument.
        Don't tell me you asked your chickens if you can have their eggs before you ate them?!?!?!

        Also ask yourself which one is worse:
        1) Shark Finning - Cutting of the fins, and throwing them back in the ocean, which they subsequently die off quite quickly. Almost a quick death, i would say half a day at most, for arguments sake, lets say a few days.

        2) Caged Eggs - Firstly as you said, we are stealing their eggs to make our bacon and eggs. Also imagine being packed into a cage so tight that you cannot even walk 1 step without bumping into another chicken. I would say this is a living hell, they have to survive days on end in this environment. Average life span of a chicken max 10 years, generally 5 years.

        If you got reincarnated, and they gave you a choice of 1 of the above, which one would you choose to live as? I highly doubt you will say a caged chicken. I know I'd like to be the shark that was finned.

        Obviously both of them are just as bad, however people fail to realize that other stuff like that happens, but only really hits them when it makes the headlines.

        • Im not gonna argue hypotheticals about reincarnation etc. Obviously I have to qualify myself now as saying I dont agree with the treatment some chickens (not all live a tortured life) but chickens are BRED specifically for this reason, or to be slaughtered. That is their purpose. And no I didnt fulfill my own argument because 1. Taking a chickens egg doesnt kill the chicken 2. Sharks arent bred for their fins, they are killed in the wild.3. I cant talk to animals (heh).

          Im sorry, but you cannot compare chickens to sharks.

        • What's with the condition that you have to kill it yourself? The point is that there are people out there with no morals who are happy to maim and kill animals on your behalf so that you can enjoy animal products without having it on your conscience. What goes on is just a matter of degree and where you decide to draw the moral line, for example people of faith such as those who follow the rules of Jewish Kosher and Islamic Halal (same thing, pretty much) are probably just as outraged by examples of animal cruelty.

          Same kinda thing goes for bred-for-purpose vs. wild. Who made you the judge of the worthiness of a life? We can subject chickens to torture because they're pitiful creatures and we "own" them, but we can't touch wild sharks because they're beautiful, and natural, and free? Hmm…

          Another corollary of your logic is that we can condone genocide in 3rd world countries because those people were unfortunate enough to be born in a society where quality of life is so poor as to be worthless, and killing them would simply be a mercy or act of compassion.

Login or Join to leave a comment