Nusret Gökçe, known as Salt Bae, rose to prominence on Instagram for his unconventional salting method. Photo/Instagram.
Nusret Gökçe, known as Salt Bae, rose to prominence on Instagram for his unconventional salting method. Photo/Instagram.
Nusr-Et, the restaurant founded by Instagram sensation Nusret Gokce (aka Salt Bae), has suffered a slew of terrible reviews from respected food writers.
The New York Daily Post called it public rip-off number one, with writer Steve Cuozzo saying he still wanted a snack after sitting down for a mealthat cost US$521 ($715) for a table of three.
The Observer'sRonn Torossian said that never in his years of fine-dining had he ever had as disappointing an experience as he did at Salt Bae's restaurant.
LMFAOOOOOOO -- My Disappointing Meal at Salt Bae’s NYC Restaurant Cost $1,400 https://t.co/m6GJSMuAXD
Bloomberg Pursuits food editor Kate Krader categorised it as a trainwreck of a restaurant, questioning the price, the aesthetic and concluding that there were better less-expensive restaurants in the city.
New York Times writer Pete Wells also bemoaned the price of his meal, which seemed steep even though it was located in a city known for pricey meals, the terrible mash potatoes and sweet coffee.
But the meal isn't the only reason any of the writers went to the restaurant. The most powerful draw was the opportunity to see Gokce, who shot to fame with his melodramatic carving and salting of a steak on Instagram.
All the writers openly admitted their excitement at the opportunity to see the bizarre chef salt their meat with his perched elbow hovering over the food.
"Like everyone else, we're there for the meat and the show that comes with it," Wells wrote in his review.
Hilariously though, even this part of the experience had an element of schadenfreude about it, with Wells commenting on how he ended up with salt on his lap after the chef had completed his stage trick.
Rubbing further salt into Gokce is the fact that he has had to start wearing gloves while handling the meat, after it was revealed that doing so with bare hands was a violation of public health codes.
