Salt Bae's Restaurant Faces Outrage For Charging Rs 800 For A Sprite

Expensive eateries worldwide are notorious for their exorbitant prices for simple meals. However, a purported bill from Turkish chef Nusret Gokce's restaurant has sparked outrage among food enthusiasts. Nusret Gokce, known for his peculiar steak-salting method, became an internet sensation in 2017. He subsequently established Nusr-Et, a chain of opulent steakhouses. Patrons have frequently expressed complaints about Nusr-Et's excessive pricing in recent years. Critics have also condemned the restaurants for their excessive emphasis on presentation at the expense of food quality.

Recently, an X user shared a video depicting Nusret Gokce preparing a steak at one of his restaurants and performing his signature salt-sprinkling technique. The X user also posted an alleged cost breakdown of a bill from a Nusr-Et establishment below the video.

According to the cost breakdown, a Sprite was priced at $10 (approximately Rs 800), exceeding its market value by over tenfold. A dish called 'Golden Tomahawk,' a beef steak wrapped in gold foil was priced at $1000 (approximately Rs 83,000).

A concerned citizen posted this cost breakdown. Ten bucks for a SPRITE????? pic.twitter.com/A1fBZnjj4y

— South Dallas Foodie (@SouthDallasFood) November 15, 2023

This cost breakdown sparked widespread outrage among internet users. among internet users. One individual labelled these prices as "Overpriced garbage for the uninformed."

Furthermore, netizens criticized Nusret Gokce's steak preparation techniques as displayed in the video. A self-proclaimed chef observed that Nusret Gokce sharpened a steel knife on the table without sanitizing it before slicing the meat.

"As a chef what bothers me most is he immediately broke one of the biggest knife skill safety standards out there, bro forgot to wipe down the knife after refining the edge with the steel, people don't steel shavings in their food," the user wrote. 

Another user commented, "There's a reason his restaurants started failing en masse once the TikTok trenders got bored. Hot take but gold foil on food is usually a clear sign the chef is pretentious and not as talented. Does nothing for taste and just increases the price of food superficially."

Last year, an X user shared a picture of a bill from Salt Bae's restaurant in London. The bill amounted to roughly Rs 1,88,000. When posting the image of this bill, the X user commented, "Opting for a flight to Salt Bae's Turkish restaurant and dining there is more economical than visiting the one in London. 9 pounds for a Coke. 630 pounds for a Tomahawk steak. No, thank you."

In response, the 39-year-old chef reposted the receipt of the bill. 

Nusr-et Gokce aka Salt Bae became famous after a meme on the internet went viral in 2017. The unique way in which he was using salt to season his steak became an overnight success. His quirky look with a white shirt and sunglasses further added to the meme's relatability. Salt Bae catapulted to fame and used it to his advantage - he now has his own chain of restaurants across all major cities in the world.