The luxury in Salt Bae's restaurant chain - the "king" of sprinkling salt and gilding.

Nusret Gökçe was born and raised in the small town of Paşalı in the Erzurum region of Türkiye, in a family of miners with no culinary tradition. However, Gökçe always had a burning dream of becoming a professional chef and opening his own restaurant. At the age of 13, due to his family's financial difficulties, he had to drop out of school, wash dishes at a local restaurant, and then apprentice with the chef there, learning meat cutting and steak-making skills.

In 2010, at the age of 27, Nusret Gökçe saved up some money and opened his first store in a neighborhood in Istanbul (Türkiye), naming it...Nusr-Et Steakhouse(Nusr-Et Steakhouse). At that time, the steakhouse only had 8 tables and 10 employees. An investor, after dining at the restaurant, was so impressed with the steak and its preparation that he decided to invest in the establishment. Initially, Gökçe only experimented with beef dishes for local customers. Gradually, more and more people came to the restaurant, preferring to order dishes he prepared himself.

In July 2017, Nusret Gökçe suddenly became globally famous thanks to a 36-second video he posted on Instagram, showing him sprinkling salt on an "Ottoman steak." The video went viral, and Nusret Gökçe's fame spread worldwide. Word spread, and thus "Salt Bae" (The Salt Bae) was born. Many fans even affectionately called him "the most charming steak seller on the internet." Gökçe himself has shared that he was truly surprised by his own fame.

With his reputation and talent, Gökçe opened a series of steak and burger restaurants worldwide. The name Nusr-Et became a luxury culinary brand attracting the super-rich, celebrities, and even politicians from all over the world. Nusr-Et Gökçe also became the chef of choice for many prominent figures, from David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo to Leonardo DiCaprio, and even Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan - the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.

Currently, the Nusr-Et restaurant chain has 18 branches in Abu Dhabi and Dubai (United Arab Emirates); Doha in Qatar; Ankara, Bodrum, Istanbul and Marmaris in Turkey; Jeddah in Saudi Arabia; Mykonos in Greece; Miami, Texas, Boston, California and New York in the United States.

On September 23rd, Nusr-Et Gökçe opened its 19th restaurant at the Park Tower Hotel in Knightsbridge, central London, maintaining its opulent style and luxurious menu with dishes costing thousands of dollars. Nusr-Et Steakhouse London is Nusr-Et Gökçe's first restaurant in London and its first branch in the United Kingdom.

According to diners who have enjoyed these luxurious dishes, the giant Tomahawk steak wrapped in gold leaf is the most impressive dish at Nusr-Et. Prices for the dishes are not publicly available on the website.Nusr-EtHowever, a steak covered in gold leaf is revealed to cost between $1,140 and $2,015 (approximately 26 million to 46 million VND), not including drinks, side dishes, and a 15% service charge.

In addition, the Nusr-et restaurant chain also serves a menu with many other signature dishes such as Asado grilled ribs, Nusr-Et meat spaghetti, tartare, light salads, cocktails, etc.

Like most other steaks, Salt Bae's $2,000 steak is made from the finest cuts of beef. According to food critics and diners, Salt Bae's steak isn't particularly special or outstanding in terms of flavor. Nevertheless, wealthy individuals continue to seek it out, simply to experience Salt Bae's "salty" culinary performance. While not everyone is lucky enough to be served by him, the mere opportunity to check in and enjoy the salt-sprinkled, gold-plated beef that many of the world's most famous celebrities have savored is enough to satisfy diners.

On the other hand, some people were dissatisfied with the luxurious experience at Salt Bae's restaurant. "Eating at a Michelin-starred restaurant is expensive, but it's prestigious, and this place is only 1/37th the price of here," one diner commented. Scaachi Koul, editor at Buzzfeed, who dined at Nusr-Et Steakhouse in New York, shared that the food wasn't terrible, but it lacked any real flavor.

An - Photo: Photo: nusr-et.com.tr