- In the video posted last Wednesday, the self-styled “micro influencer” mentioned that she and the owners of the Kis Cafe in Hayes Valley had reached an agreement for a collaboration a week before her visit.
- Chef Luke Sung received recognition as a James Beard Rising Star Chef nominee in both 2000 and 2003. He gained prominence in San Francisco through his Cal-French restaurant, Isa.
- He was dismissed from his role at Kis Cafe following the incident.
The San Franciscochef at the heart of aviral TikTok videoissued a public apology on Sunday, expressing deep regret for his behavior toward the influencer who recently posted a video about an unkind encounter with the renowned chef.
Luke Sung, the ex-chef from Kis Cafe, posted a message on the restaurant’s Instagram page, although he has now been let go from his position.
“I was dismissive, cruel, and threatening. You didn’t deserve to feel inferior or insignificant, and no one should,” Sung stated.
In the video posted last Wednesday, self-proclaimed “micro influencer”@itskarlabbshe mentioned that she and the staff at the Kis Cafe in Hayes Valley had agreed on a partnership a week before her visit.
She mentioned she reached the restaurant a bit early, before her husband, in order to inspect the place and film some footage.
As she settled into the bar stools designated for her, she mentioned that she could hear the host and another man conversing “two or three feet away” from her.
“I’m aware they’re discussing me, as I can hear them mention ‘TikTok, views, followers,’ so I begin to pay attention,” the influencer stated in the video.
She mentioned she heard the second man inquire with the host about her TikTok view and subscriber count, and he clearly expressed dissatisfaction upon finding out she had 15,000 followers.
“He claimed that I have too few followers, and that this was an error,” the influencer stated, noting that the person also said the host shouldn’t have invited her to the restaurant.
She mentioned that the second man then came up to her, and she introduced herself to him. The influencer stated she told him she was still enthusiastic about the collaboration, but the other man started questioning her and asked if she had done any research on the restaurant before her visit.
Kis Cafe started in May, and the influencer mentioned that they didn’t have a website to check out. Still, she said she was aware of the menu and knew the restaurant was a wine bar offering smaller servings.
The man stated that the woman hadn’t conducted any research before her visit, and there had been some confusion. He then requested to view the influencer’s TikTok profile, and started browsing through her posts while playing her videos at maximum volume.
After scrolling, like, two times, he told me that he doesn’t think my videos are good enough to represent his restaurant,” she said. “He continued by saying that my audience and followers aren’t the type of people who would be at his restaurant. It seemed like he was implying that my followers wouldn’t be able to afford to eat there.
The influencer then mentioned that the man questioned whether she knew who he was, which she denied.
“He mentions he’s a James Beard Award winner or nominee or something, and I respond, ‘Awesome, I don’t really know what to say about that,'” she said.
The man then mentioned that his own daughter had 600,000 followers on TikTok, and that the influencer wasn’t even close to her level.
He subsequently mentioned that the influencer’s cooking videos were “cozy,” but that she was unclear about their activities at Kis Cafe.
The influencer mentioned that the encounter made her emotional, and she informed the man that she felt offended and was no longer interested in working together.
She mentioned that the man replied he was offended she didn’t introduce herself to him.
The influencer mentioned that her husband came to the restaurant, and the two exited the place together. She uploaded the video to her TikTok account that same night, and it has received more than 21 million views by Sunday evening.
The fallout
The influencer did not mention the restaurant or the man she engaged with by name, yet audiences swiftly figured out, from the details in the video, that he was Luke Sung, co-owner and chef at Kis Cafe.
Sung received recognition as a James Beard Rising Star Chef nominee in both 2000 and 2003, and gained attention in San Francisco through his Cal-French restaurant Isa – named after his influential daughter.
Kis Cafe on Thursday released a statementdeclaring that Sung was terminated from the restaurant following the viral video.
Our chef’s conduct was inappropriate, and he is no longer associated with the team as a co-owner, chef, or in any other capacity,” the restaurant stated. “As of this post, he (Luke) has contacted the creator to offer a personal apology.
In the statement Sung released over the weekend, he also expressed regret to his daughter.
The last person I wish to apologize to is my daughter Isabelle,” he said. “I’m sorry I placed you in this situation, and I’m embarrassed that you were the one who had to take responsibility for my error.
Sung emphasized that the responsibility lies entirely with him — and is not indicative of others at the restaurant or his family.
To Karla, my children, and all others in the hospitality field, I hope you can accept my apology and appreciate you taking the time to hear me out.
Previous KTVU coverage, Kis Cafe, TikTok, and the chef.
