Salt Bae's Boston Restaurant Shut Down As Video Of Woman Twerking For Him Goes Viral

Nusret Gökçe, the Turkish chef and restauranteur who earned the nickname Salt Bae in 2017 thanks to his flamboyant way of seasoning steak, was thrust back into the limelight last weekend after he was filmed in a chaotic TikTok and the Boston location of his restaurant franchise Nusr-Et was shut down days after opening due to multiple health code violations.

The TikTok shows a woman twerking in front of Gökçe, apparently filming the encounter in a jovial scene, when a man presumed to be her boyfriend bangs on the restaurant door and begins cursing at and chasing the woman.

@attack_helicopter1234

Scary moment at Nusr Et😳👌🏽##fyp

♬ Attack helicopter dude – Sexy avocado

The video gained millions of views on TikTok and Twitter, as people criticized everyone in the video: some criticized Salt Bae for not wearing a mask; many criticized the apparent boyfriend for his threatening and abusive-looking behavior; some criticized the woman for her behavior as well, though these people were harshly rebuked.

What also is suspicious is that Salt Bae assumably works there, but he isn’t wearing a mask. That goes along w my “staged” theory bc if he had a mask he wouldn’t be recognizable and the video wouldn’t go viral. Please tell me why the chef isn’t wearing a mask during corona?

— Omega Dread (@GodHamgod) September 28, 2020

tw // domestic violence

That video of the girl twerking in salt bae’s restaurant is super alarming. yall are making jokes about it and condemning the girl for “entertaining people”. OVER A FUCKING TWERK. nobody was touching her, nothing.

— bre | 📌 pinned tweet (@BreOfficially) September 28, 2020

Regarding that video, I can’t lie that reaction was not okay. Yes shaking nyash for salt bae is one thing, but coming as if she is one of your boys that stole 50K. In fact would he have that same energy for his boys? That kind of temperament is alarming and I’d run.

— MANNY | #TCMSHOW 🎧 (@THECLASSICMANNY) September 28, 2020

Her partner/father/brother was supposed to walk in calmly and say "I'm politely suggesting if can you refrain from shaking your derriere in front of salt bae?". 👍🏿 https://t.co/gTdKv5PupG

— Babz צַדִּיק (@Master_Siddiq) September 28, 2020

Meanwhile, in Boston, public officials shut down Gökçe's Boston restaurant for multiple violations, including not following COVID-19 guidelines and violating fire, equipment and health regulations. The restaurant had only been open for a week before getting shut down. It's unclear if the twerk video took place at Nusr-et's Boston location, though it would make sense for Gökçe to be at his most recently-opened restaurant.