Salt Bae has landed himself in sizzling water once more after promoting a £25 (about R600) burger that has been branded an “insult to meat eaters and vegans.”
While his steakhouse chain Nusr-Et, with outlets around the world, is often the talk of the town for its gold-coated steaks with ludicrously hefty price tags, the Turkish chef – real name Nusret Gökçe – is today hitting headlines for something else: his avocado burger.
Recently he shared a clip of himself making an avocado burger, which comprises a burger patty topped with melted cheese. It was placed between two ripe halves of an avocado, and it didn’t look the easiest to eat.
Even though some laughed saying it was a “super keto burger”, others were left totally baffled by the quirky invention.
“Somehow this video manages to offend both vegan and meat-eating sensibilities at the same time,” said one person in the comments.
Another asked: “How are you supposed to eat that?”
A third added: “What a waste of good avocado.”
For all the haters, others were more enthused by the innovation.
“Uh, I like it. Gonna cook this soon,” said one user.
Another wrote: “That looks peng.”
In 2021 the Turkish chef was criticised for “removing” bad reviews on Google after many complained about the restaurant’s exorbitant prices. As people flocked to the opening of the restaurant, footage and photos quickly emerged of the experience inside. In one clip, a woman is fed a piece of steak straight off Salt Bae’s knife, while another man refuses to do the same, picking it off with his hands.
One photo showed the bill for a group who had eaten at the restaurant, and it was eye-watering. Totalling to a whopping $6 228.05 (over R94 000), it included a $10 Sprite, $15 French fries, $19 mashed potato, and most notably, a $1 000 steak. However, it’s not just any steak – it is golden. The receipt quickly went viral on Twitter, receiving over a thousand quote tweets and likes.