In the heart of Seattle, a culinary drama unfolded that left diners wide awake with curiosity and concern. Fob Sushi Bar, a renowned raw fish monger with outlets in Seattle and Bellevue, found itself at the center of a food safety storm. Two days ago, in an Instagram post, the restaurant announced the temporary closure of its Seattle locations in response to recent food safety concerns.

Food Influencer's Review and the Controversy

Food influencer Keith Lee, with a massive following of 16.9 million on TikTok, visited one of Fob Sushi Bar's branches. He was intrigued by the "unique" buffet-style setup where sushi was served by the pound rather than per piece. After sampling $15 worth of sashimi and nigiri, he gave the place an overall score of 8 out of 10, praising the fish but noting that the rice was slightly overcooked.However, the tranquility of his review was shattered when viewers claimed to have seen something suspicious moving in his sushi at around two minutes into the clip. One viewer exclaimed, "That fish definitely moved at 1:50," while another wrote, "Did anyone see that worm in that salmon!?" This sparked a heated controversy.

The Restaurant's Response

Fob Sushi Bar dismissed the allegations as "false" and claimed to follow Food and Drug Administration standards to ensure the highest quality and safety in every dish. They attributed the movement in the video to the "natural elasticity" of the fish and the "pressure of the chopsticks when applied to its structure."They also emphasized that rumors like this can harm small businesses, so they were addressing it head-on. In an Instagram post, they wrote, "Thank you for trusting us and supporting FOB Sushi."

Aftermath and Closure

Shortly after the controversy, Fob Sushi Bar announced the temporary closure of its Bellevue and Seattle locations until further notice. They were conducting a thorough investigation to get to the bottom of the incident and ensure such a situation never happened again.Lee, the food influencer, uploaded a follow-up video, stating that it "did appear that something moved," although he couldn't confirm or deny what it was. He also mentioned that someone alleged they were hospitalized after eating at the same chain, but he insisted he didn't suffer any symptoms.He said, "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."However, Lee reiterated that he wasn't suggesting that the nigiri's gyrations were caused by a parasite. The restaurant remains dedicated to providing the highest quality sushi and is committed to resolving this issue.