Who is Kat Ensign? All about San Francisco influencer caught up in viral dispute with Michelin star chef over restaurant review

Following a public spat with San Fransisco influencer Kat Ensign, a Michelin star chef has abandoned his post across three celebrated restaurants.

The spat stems from last month when the influencer took to social media to lightly criticize the chef over his hamburgers sold at the Hamburger Project. However, her remarks soon prompted an angry message from the Chef, culminating in public backlash.

Kat Ensign is a lifestyle influencer. She has a sizeable following across Instagram and TikTok, and her videos primarily revolve around her reviewing food across San Francisco. She also posts content related to shopping, self-care, and dating.

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All we know about Kat Ensign's public spat with Michellin-starred chef as the former claims she was subjected to age and body shaming

Kat Ensign went to the eatery last month after reading in a newspaper article that it had sold “1,000 burgers in their first two days of business.” However, she felt that the food was subpar, and noted that it wasn't for her.

“The menu was simple with three smash burgers starting at $6.89 for a classic single,” she said in her review. “And you can upgrade your meal for $35 with a little Tsar Nicoulao Caviar. I started with the loaded fries with cheese, sautéed onion and HP sauce. I think they forgot the sauce on mine and I’d just forget the fries if you’re thinking about giving this spot a shot,” she added.

In a follow-up video, she revealed that Chef Geoffrey Lee responded to her criticism with an angry remark.

“Because someone needs to tell you to grow up,” the message read. “It’s pathetic being damn near 50 and trying to have influence over 20 year old somethings to try to remain some kind of sense of relativity. All of chefs look down on it and one of us has to tell you.”

Geoffrey Lee is credited with the success of Ju-Ni, a decade-old omakase restaurant that held a single Michelin star for five years. He is known for Handroll Project and Hamburger Project, too. Both these outlets opened last year, according to New York Post.

In response to the chef's remarks, Kat Ensign corrected him, noting that she was in her 30s. She also accused him of “attacking” her age and weight simply because she shared an “honest review.”

In the wake of the uproar, the company took to Instagram to reveal that the chef had stepped down from his postion.

"Effective immediately, Geoffrey Lee is relieved from his role as Executive Chef at Hamburger Project, Handroll Project, and Jū-Ni,” the statement read. “Moving forward Geoffrey will no longer have any involvement in the operations of these restaurants. We have zero tolerance for the behavior he has exhibited in recent weeks,” according to the post. “As a company, we unequivocally condemn all forms of bullying and harassment whether online or in real life. This behavior is a stark contrast to the values and culture that we strive to uphold in our businesses.”

In one of the messages, as reported by the outlet, Lee said of Kat Ensign:

"She is so weird, it seems unstable."

He also said she had “the most annoying Karen voice" before advising her against going to Golden State Warriors games to prevent the team from losing.

Lee told The Standard he never commented on Kat Ensign's looks:

“There’s been accusations that I body-shamed her,” he said. “That’s entirely fabricated so she can control the narrative.”

Reflecting on his actions, he said:

“I learned a lesson,” Lee said. “I shouldn’t have replied back. But I don’t believe that just because I’m a chef-owner, my voice should be silenced. What I was trying to figure out is what makes this influencer exempt from my critiques, but she’s allowed to come into my house, my restaurant, to criticize my food.”

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In the wake of the mounting backlash, Lee decided to make his Instagram account public.