Latest news with #Woww
News18
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- News18
Viral For Dramatic Salt-Sprinkling, This Chef Once 'Intimidated' Messi — A Short Rise & Fall Story
'From viral fame to public backlash, Was it ego? Missteps? or just too much, too fast? Did he deserve the fall?" asked a post by the Instagram page Mental Health & Motivation. The Salt Bae Moment That Changed Everything Salt Bae's rise started with a short video in 2017 which showed his signature move where he sprinkled salt with a dramatic wrist flick, letting it slide down his forearm onto a juicy steak. Wearing dark sunglasses and a tight white T-shirt, he became an internet sensation. The video caught the attention of millions including celebrities like Bruno Mars who reposted it and Rihanna who even wore a Salt Bae t-shirt. Stars such as Leonardo DiCaprio visited his restaurants. He has also been pictured with soccer legend David Beckham and actor Jason Statham. The Luxury Steak Empire Salt Bae's success led to the rapid expansion of his restaurant brand, Nusr-Et. Starting from a single location in 2010, his empire grew to include spots in Dubai, London, New York, Beverly Hills and more. His menu was anything but ordinary. At the Beverly Hills location, guests could enjoy char-grilled steaks like the mustard-marinated Amor, also known as Salt Bae's Private Reserve Cut, thick wagyu Woww steak and the famous Salt Bae tomahawk. Nusr-Et also offered a lavish Golden Experience menu that featured steaks coated in edible gold. For example, a 24-carat gold-covered tomahawk steak was priced at $950, a golden Amor at $1,500 and a massive four-pound wagyu New York strip steak at $2,000. The menu even included unique dishes like meat sushi topped with Parmigiano cheese served on beds of sushi rice. The restaurants became famous not only for the food but also for the spectacle with Salt Bae often performing his salt-sprinkling routine at the table. Trouble In Paradise Salt Bae's shine started to fade as serious complaints surfaced. A former waiter at his Manhattan steakhouse accused Salt Bae of taking a portion of the employees' tips. According to a report in Eater, the waiter had claimed that tips were pooled but that management kept about 3 per cent before sharing the rest with staff including managers and non-service employees. The employee had also alleged that workers were shorted on pay for breaks and overtime. According to the lawsuit, anyone who complained about not receiving their full tips was systematically fired. Customers also started speaking out. Many said, 'The show looks good. But the food isn't worth it." These accusations added to Salt Bae's growing list of controversies. Public Missteps Salt Bae's troubles extended beyond his restaurants. In 2022, he caused a stir by storming the pitch at the FIFA World Cup final without permission. He grabbed the trophy, kissed it and performed his signature salt-sprinkle gestures. Even Lionel Messi looked stunned by his unexpected actions. Many saw this as disrespectful.
Eater
05-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Eater
Salt Bae's Reign of Golden Steaks and Arm-Sprinkled Salt Ends in Beverly Hills
Nusret Gökçe, better known as Salt Bae, has sprinkled his last steaks in Los Angeles. The Beverly Hills outpost of Gökçe's global steakhouse chain, Nusr-Et, suddenly closed on June 4, four years after opening in 2021. In early 2025, Nusr-Et shuttered its Las Vegas location, but plans to reopen elsewhere in the city. Gökçe, a Turkish butcher and chef, first infiltrated the public consciousness when a video of him slicing into a steak and then sprinkling salt down his flexed forearm onto the meat waiting below went viral in 2017. His tight white T-shirt and tiny sunglasses instantly became recognizable — he even recreated the infamous post, sunglasses and all, at the Cannes Film Festival in 2019. Gökçe opened the first location of Nusr-Et in 2010, when only his immediate audience could enjoy his salt-slinging, forearm-seasoning tactics. However, in the years following his sudden rise to fame, Nusr-Et quickly expanded globally and announced a future location for Los Angeles. After years of development and moving on from its planned location in the Arts District, Nusr-Et opened in Beverly Hills in 2021. Gökçe was on-site for the opening weekend to sprinkle meat on request (hopefully, he had a strict forearm sanitation protocol). In Beverly Hills, Nusr-Et served a menu of steaks from the char-grill, including the mustard-marinated Amor (#Saltbae's Private Reserve Cut), a thick-cut wagyu Woww steak, and the #Saltbae tomahawk. The restaurant also served a Golden Experience menu, with enough gold-gilded meat to kick off another Gold Rush. A 24-carat gold-coated tomahawk went for $950, a golden Amor for $1,500, and a four-pound wagyu New York strip steak for $2,000. Meat sushi with Parmigiano (separate from the beef carpaccio on the menu) was also served atop mounds of sushi rice. But Salt Bae's rise and fall from virality wasn't without its issues. In 2019, Mr. Bae was accused of tip-skimming at his Manhattan restaurant. Two years later, in 2021, the restaurant group was sued for allegedly misclassifying employees to avoid paying overtime wages; the suit was later dismissed. And in 2023, Gökçe was banned from the 2023 U.S. Open Cup after he kissed the World Cup trophy. In 2023, Nusr-Et had seven locations in the U.S.; as of June 2025, there are only two remaining, in Miami and New York City. As Salt Bae and his salty forearms bid farewell to Los Angeles, Nusr-Et eyes further international expansion, with new locations planned for Mexico City, Rome, Ibiza, and more. Sign up for our newsletter. 184-188 Canon Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90210
