Stardom with a pinch of Salt

Reportedly, Salt Bae has over 15 restaurants around the world and more than 600 employees. His properties are called carnivore’s paradise, and thousands throng day after day to taste the inimitable style of Gökçe and his Turkish delights. But dining at one of his steakhouses can prove to be a financial undertaking for those with modest salaries. In March 2021, social media threw up a bill from Nusr-Et’s Miami property dating back to a dinner served at a table of six on October 16, 2019. The final bill came up to a whopping $ 6,228. The most expensive dishes on order were a bottle of Vin Dore 24K Gold de Brut for $1,500 and the famous gold-covered Tomahawk steak for $1,000. But what’s been a constant thorn in the side of Nusr-Et’s diners is the $10 can of Sprite and the $9 bottle of Voss water that just doesn’t make sense to many.

Not just the masses, even the classes, the creme de la creme of the restaurant world, the critics have mixed feelings about Nusr-Et’s hype and hoopla. New York Times food critic Pete Wells, for example, had commented about his visit to NY’s Nusr-Et with the now-famous line, “I had a pair of trousers that Salt Bae had seasoned like a steak.” Despite the fanfare and the criticism, Salt Bae maintains a fine balance between enigmatic and doggone weird. He has maintained through interviews and social media posts that his popularity hasn’t changed anything in his life nor his craft. He claims to be the hardest restaurateur out there who prefers to wake up early every day and work until midnight. Overzealous humility has its own charm. Fact of the matter is, Salt Bae’s restaurants are like entertainment hotspots where you can eat, not eateries where you’ll get a new experience. It stems from Salt Bae’s personality, stardom, and his brazen, over-the-top ways. As senior food critic Robert Sietsema had summed up, “If, on the other hand, you appraise the place (Nusr-Et) as a dinner theatre, you will find it satisfying – but only if Salt Bae is in the house.”

And that’s the bottom line. Enthusiasts keep a watchful eye on Gökçe’s Instagram account and his Insta stories. They’re the best way to find out what city he’s in, and once it’s confirmed that he’s in your locale, fans line up at the steakhouse for some salty entertainment with meaty expectations.