Popular social media personality Keith Lee took to TikTok to swear he saw a "worm" in his sushi on November 10. He shared clips taken at the Fob Sushi Bar located in Seattle. The backlash online has since forced the restaurant to temporarily close its doors.
In the beginning, the food critic had good things to say, divulging that the place was recommended by the locals. Keith Lee ordered about $15 worth of sashimi and nigiri and noted that the food was, thus far, worth it for the price. However, that's when things took a crawl.
Fans point out in the comments section that Keith Lee's "favorite" sushi "had a worm on it"
Explaining to the camera that at Fob, they sell their menu items by the pound, Keith Lee commented:
"[This is] sushi done in the most unique way I’ve ever seen in my life."
However, fans picked up on something the TikToker missed: a creepy crawly. One fan pointed out, "Nah, that fish moved at 1:50." Another echoed, noting that "your favorite one had a worm on it."
Keith Lee gave an update to his fans with another TikTok video, "got straight to it," as he said:
"We went to a place called Fob Sushi Bar in Seattle the other day. Somebody slowed the video down and it did appear that something moved. A thousand percent transparency-- I didn't see anything until somebody pointed it out. I can't confirm or deny what it was but I can confirm that I am okay. I appreciate people who actually did reach out and was worried about me. I'm alright."
He went on:
"The only reason I'm making this video is because I just saw a video of somebody who went the day after us, and now they are hospitalized. Imma come out and say something about it- I sent my heart and I send my blessings to the person that's in the hospital. And I've already said it a thousand times: I don't believe in tearing down any business. But at the same time, people's health are on the line."
He then went on to assert that if people are getting hospitalized, and things are moving in the food, he "absolutely thinks there's accountability that should be taken.
The restaurant took to Instagram to issue a statement on the same, blaming the "movement observed in the fish" on things like "natural elasticity" or "the pressure of chopsticks when applied to its structure." They also asserted that they "follow strict FDA and HACCP standards to ensure the highest quality and safety in every dish."
However, a displeased Keith Lee responded to the claims in the video:
"For the restaurant to post a statement indicating that me holding the sushi or me holding the chopsticks a certain way is why the sushi moved—I personally don’t agree with it. Because I’ve had sushi a thousand times, and I’ve held sushi a thousand different ways, and never once have I seen sushi behaving that way."
About 10 days after the debacle, on November 18, the restaurant once again took to Instagram to share an update:
"In response to recent food safety concerns, we have decided to close our FOB Sushi locations in Seattle and Bellevue until further notice."
Trending
The chain also maintained that they are executing a "thorough investigation" into the claims, noting that they will "take all necessary measures to prevent it from happening again."
They ended the post by thanking the community for its "years of support," and apologized for "any inconvenience this may have caused." They also asserted that they are "dedicated to providing you with the highest quality sushi."
Reply
