A Prada-wearing dine-and-dasher with a penchant for Michelin-star eating places has been posing as an influencer to attain freebie haute delicacies — whilst ripping off one of the most town’s best eateries, law enforcement officials say.
Pei Chung, 34, of Brooklyn – who flaunts Prada heels, Louis Vuitton purses and Hermes belts far and wide Instagram – has been arrested 5 occasions since past due October for indulging at native high-end eating places similar to Peter Luger and Francie in Williamsburg, stiffing staffers after which running a blog about her stolen fare, police and law-enforcement assets informed The Put up.
Chung allegedly poses as a meals influencer — entire with a digicam and lights set-up — and posts dishes similar to Colorado lamb from the Michelin-starred Ecu brasserie Francie and marbled meat from the famed Peter Luger to her 13,000 fans.
She as soon as even allegedly presented up intercourse in lieu of money at Peter Luger.
“She’s going into established eating places dressed to the nines, racking up loads of bucks in meals, defrauding them, then posting on Instagram just like the eating place employed her,” mentioned a supply as regards to Williamsburg’s new American eating place Meadowsweet, which used to be allegedly one in every of Chung’s sufferers, to The Put up.
“All her playing cards had been declined,” the supply mentioned.
“Our crew used to be at a loss for words – surprised. She used to be so confident and brazen about it,” added the supply, who noticed Chung allegedly dine and sprint and equated her habits to the “Bling Ring,” an notorious team of fame-obsessed basically youngster robbers who focused celebs’ properties in California just about 20 years in the past.
The Brooklyn meals fraudster — who lives in a luxurious, waterfront excessive upward push in Williamsburg — waltzed into Francie on Oct. 22, feasting on $15 foie gras, $32 carpaccio, $28 bucatini, $52 lamb, and $19 scorching chocolate mousse, police and assets mentioned.
She bartered as an alternative of paying the $188 invoice, consistent with the police file.
“She sought after to business photos and a weblog put up for the meal,” mentioned John Winterman, an proprietor at Francie, to The Put up, claiming Chung got here in just like the eating place had employed her as an influencer.
“I mentioned, ‘That might be one thing we must agree upon prior to, and we haven’t executed that, so I would like you to pay the test,’ ” he mentioned.
When Chung’s playing cards had been declined, she mentioned she used to be looking ahead to cash from her circle of relatives, Winterman mentioned.
He mentioned she returned a number of occasions for extra meals however used to be refused carrier over her unsettled tab.
Chung then allegedly returned Friday, Nov. 7, simply after 7:30 p.m. and ordered $83.83 price of meals and refused to pay.
Police officers had been known as, and she or he used to be arrested and handcuffed on the bar on theft-of-services fees, government mentioned.
“Law enforcement officials confirmed up. Two automobiles and 4 law enforcement officials – they checked out her and mentioned, ‘Oh yeah. That’s her. We all know her,’ ” Winterman mentioned. “I had a complete bar, folks status round having beverages.
“The police went to the bar, learn her her rights, handcuffed her on the bar and escorted her out.”
The co-owner mentioned Chung’s alleged crime performed out in entrance of Francie’s well-heeled consumers, who may stand the warmth within the kitchen.
“It used to be probably the most New York second ever,” Winterman mentioned of the nonplussed diners, who gave the impression extra anxious about their $148 dry-aged duck getting chilly than the accused foodie scofflaw’s antics.
“There have been a few feedback – no person took an image,” he mentioned. “They only began consuming and ingesting once more.”
Only a day previous, Chung had slipped into the within reach Lavender Lake eating place on Broadway in Williamsburg — the place cocktails get started at $16 — and allegedly racked up a $97 invoice and left with out paying.
Chung additionally visited Peter Luger on Oct. 27 round 6:45 p.m. and labored up a $146 tab she refused to pay, police mentioned.
On Tuesday, Nov. 11, she then visited Motorino Pizza at 139 Broadway and refused to pay her $135 invoice, police mentioned.
She used to be arrested and charged with alleged robbery of amenities that very same day.
However the accused thief paints an entirely other tale on her weblog.
“Each and every slice finds a deep rose middle underneath a caramelized crust — a stability of char and tenderness perfected over a long time,” Chung raved in a put up about her Peter Luger steak, including, “The fats melts like silk, wearing the essence of oak and iron from the grill.”
An afternoon later, she used to be arrested and charged for the alleged robbery of amenities and issued a desk-appearance price ticket that orders her to look in courtroom.
A supervisor on the steakhouse informed The Put up that Chung went lacking for “45 mins” round invoice time. They discovered her hiding within the restroom.
“She used to be in the toilet. When she comes out to pay the test, she requested the waiter if he’d love to handle her test and she or he’d pay him again differently and now not money,” mentioned Jeckson Leonardo, a supervisor at Peter Luger to The Put up, alleging Chung attempted to pay for her steak for one in sexual favors.
“She mentioned, ‘Is there anything I will do for you as a result of I don’t need to pay this test,” Leonardo mentioned.
“We informed her we’re going to name the police,” the chief mentioned.
“Her fingers had been so tiny the cop needed to put their arms throughout the handcuffs to escort her out,” Leonardo mentioned.
Chung didn’t reply to Put up requests for remark.
