The first restaurant that brought internet phenomenon chef "Salt Bae" his initial success was damaged by a fire that broke out on its rooftop early Wednesday.
Firefighters rushed to the famous Nusr-et Steakhouse in Istanbul's upscale Etiler neighborhood as locals reported black smoke coming out from the rooftop and chimney of the building.
The fire was soon extinguished, but the extent of the damage to the restaurant remains unknown.
The damaged restaurant was the first opened by Nusret Gökçe, a chef formerly working in another famous Istanbul kebab and steak chain, in 2011. Thanks to customer acclaim and successful partnerships, the Nusr-et chain now has 11 restaurants, including those in Turkey as well as several in the United Arab Emirates and the U.S.
Gökçe, already an Instagram star in Turkey, went viral internationally thanks to his videos in which he chops and seasons meat in perhaps the most "sensual" way possible, in addition to his signature "salting" move that earned him the nickname "Salt Bae."
Each of his videos has gained millions of likes, while internet memes of Gökçe started circulating on various social media platforms.
