Salt Bae: what the life of the celebrated chef was like before going viral on social networks

In 2017 a video broke into social networks. A chef was seen seasoning a cut of meat with coarse salt in a peculiar way. Thousands of people, captivated by his charisma, style or curious technique shared the video and the protagonist was named ‘Salt Bae‘. It is about Nusr-et Gökçe, a Turkish chef who owns a chain of 16 restaurants in six countries around the world. But what was your life like before you became famous? Here we tell you.

At 38 he has managed to manage a personal fortune of about $ 50 million. He has also managed to stay relevant on social media thanks to his entertaining and playful way of seasoning and cooking food and this has been documented by various newspapers and digital media around the world.

Although not everything seems to be going well in his life, especially after the various controversies in which he has been involved. One of the criticisms he has received is the salary he offers for a chef position in his new restaurant located in London. While the famous Golden Giant Tomahawk steaks – those covered in edible gold – are priced at $ 1,975, the hourly pay for the chef offering would be $ 16 an hour. In addition, it has been questioned by excessive prices that shows its menu, since a dinner can cost approximately 51 thousand dollars. One of its restaurants, located in New York (United States), was even sued by a Peruvian who worked as a waiter, claiming to be a victim of discrimination for being Hispanic.

Despite the controversies, if something can be accepted, it is that Nusr-et Gokce he knew how to make a name for himself in the industry. But, if we review his life before fame, we can recognize that his origins are very different from his present.

A humble past

He was born in Erzurum, Turkey, in 1983 and his father was a miner. His family was going through financial problems and because of this, he dropped out of school at an early age, at 5 years old. To help with the economy of his home he began to work as a butcher apprentice en el distrito in Kadıköy Istanbul. “Since I was 14 years old, I have worked more than 13 hours a day as a kitchen assistant in a butcher shop. (…) My life has not changed now. I keep going to work from morning to midnight, ”he commented in an interview for NBC.

From that moment on, he decided travel to various countries focused on exporting meat. “Without much money, I traveled to Argentina to see the meat industry and after that I wanted to travel to the United States, but they denied me my visa five or six times, but I never gave up,” he adds in the aforementioned interview.

At this stage of his life he spent about three years working as a cook in various restaurants, even free, to improve your cooking skills.

He always wanted to open a restaurant, a dream he achieved at the age of 27. With only eight tables and 10 employees, its first space was inaugurated in Istanbul, in 2010. Thus was born the now famous chain Nusr-ET Steak House, whose name is comes from the chef’s name, separating the last two letters – “ET” – which means meat.

Thanks to its great technique, flavors and ingredients, the restaurant became an example of gourmet cuisine in Istanbul. This attracted many celebrities and executives from the city, such as the billionaire Ferit Şahenk, one of the ten richest people in Turkey, who ofHe decided to invest in his business in 2012 to expand it.

Four years later, after having managed to open new stores in other Turkish cities, the restaurant opted for its first branch outside of Turkey. Elected Dubai as a new destination and this was the beginning of an expansion that has had great results, with 16 restaurants today.