Nusr-Et
Turkish chef Nusret Gökçe, better known as seasoning sensation ‘Salt Bae’, is to open a London outpost of his popular Nusr-Et steakhouse chain this year. Gökçe shot to fame two years ago when a video of him flamboyantly seasoning a steak by letting the salt trickle down his forearm onto the meat sent the internet into overdrive.
The video of the as-yet-unknown chef was viewed 10 million times on Instagram and became a much-used meme, making a celebrity of Gökçe, who has been nicknamed ‘Salt Bae’.
“The shape of the meat and the taste of it starting from the top down is a part of me. All of my feelings are coming from inside of the meat down to when I put the salt onto the meat,” Bae told NBC of his eccentric seasoning flourish known as “the move”.
Salt Bae is hoping to capitalise on his fame by opening a London outpost of his Nusr-Et steakhouse chain at The Park Tower in Knightsbridge.
Among his signature dishes on offer in London will be roasted asaado short rib, Nusr-Et meat spaghetti, lokum, and the ‘Nusr-Et special’, whatever that might be… If you’re really lucky you might even get your short rib seasoned by the great man himself.
A trained butcher and chef, Gökçe has built up the Nusr-Et chain and now boasts sites in New York, Dubai, Doha and Miami. He counts actor Leonardo di Caprio among his fans. His first steakhouse opened in Istanbul in 2010.