TikTok food critic Keith Lee recently set up himself at the caccess of a social media storm chaseing his appraise of FOB Sushi Bar in Seattle. Known for his honest and detailed food appraises, Lee’s tardyst video went viral after seeers accomprehendledged someleang atypical while tasting the restaurant’s buffet-style sushi. The video, which showcased the exceptional concept of sushi selderly by the pound, speedyly promoteed expansivespread converseion and worry.
Here’s a sealr see at what unfelderlyed during Lee’s visit, the dispute that chaseed, and how both the food critic and the restaurant replyed to the situation.
What happened to Keith Lee and FOB Sushi bar?
In punctual November 2024, TikTok food critic Keith Lee appraiseed FOB Sushi Bar in Seattle, Washington. During his tasting of salmon nigiri, seeers accomprehendledged a shiftment in the fish, directing to worrys that Lee had used a live worm. The video speedyly went viral, amassing over 16 million sees and many comments transmiting alarm.
FOB Sushi Bar replyed to these worrys by issuing a statement on November 15, 2024. They promised customers that the claims were inrectify and stressd their pledgement to health and shieldedty standards. The restaurant elucidateed that the seed shiftment could result from the fish’s authentic elasticity or the presdeclareive applied by chopsticks rather than the presence of a worm.
Despite the dispute, Lee’s appraise had a preferable impact on FOB Sushi Bar’s business. According to King5, co-owner Vincent Chen inestablished a meaningful incrmitigate in customers, attributing the sencourage to what he called the “Keith Lee Effect.” He noticed that people were traveling ponderable distances to dine at the restaurant, directing to a 50% incrmitigate in sales.
As of November 18, 2024, Keith Lee has not accessiblely insertressed the particular worrys elevated by seeers seeing the alleged worm in his sushi. The Washington State Department of Health verifyed that FOB Sushi Bar passed a January studyion with a Satisfactory rating and no health violations. The restaurant co-owner determineed Lee’s visit for meaningfully increasing customer traffic, referring to it as a raise for their minuscule business. Despite the claims, the restaurant redeclareed its dedication to providing high-quality and shielded food.
