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 — whereas ripping off a number of the metropolis’s high eateries, cops say.
Pei Chung, 34, of Brooklyn – who flaunts Prada heels, Louis Vuitton purses and Hermes belts throughout Instagram – has been arrested 5 instances since late October for indulging at native high-end eating places corresponding to Peter Luger and Francie in Williamsburg, stiffing staffers after which running a blog about her stolen fare, police and law-enforcement sources informed The Submit.
Chung allegedly poses as a meals influencer — full with a digicam and lighting set-up — and posts dishes corresponding to Colorado lamb from the Michelin-starred European brasserie Francie and marbled meat from the famed Peter Luger to her 13,000 followers.
She as soon as even allegedly provided up intercourse in lieu of money at Peter Luger.
“She’s going into established eating places dressed to the nines, racking up lots of of {dollars} in meals, defrauding them, then posting on Instagram just like the restaurant employed her,” stated a supply near Williamsburg’s new American restaurant Meadowsweet, which was allegedly considered one of Chung’s victims, to The Submit.
“All her playing cards have been declined,” the supply stated.
“Our staff was confused – shocked. She was 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 group of fame-obsessed primarily teen robbers who focused celebs’ houses in California almost 20 years in the past.
The Brooklyn meals fraudster — who lives in a luxurious, waterfront excessive rise in Williamsburg — waltzed into Francie on Oct. 22, feasting on $15 foie gras, $32 carpaccio, $28 bucatini, $52 lamb, and $19 sizzling chocolate mousse, police and sources stated.
She bartered as an alternative of paying the $188 invoice, in keeping with the police report.
“She needed to commerce footage and a weblog put up for the meal,” stated John Winterman, an proprietor at Francie, to The Submit, claiming Chung got here in just like the restaurant had employed her as an influencer.
“I stated, ‘That may be one thing we must agree upon earlier than, and we haven’t completed that, so I want you to pay the verify,’ ” he stated.
When Chung’s playing cards have been declined, she stated she was ready for cash from her household, Winterman stated.
He stated she returned a number of instances for extra meals however was refused service 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.
Cops have been referred to as, and he or she was arrested and handcuffed on the bar on theft-of-services costs, authorities stated.
“Cops confirmed up. Two vehicles and 4 cops – they checked out her and stated, ‘Oh yeah. That’s her. We all know her,’ ” Winterman stated. “I had a full bar, folks standing round having drinks.
“The police went to the bar, learn her her rights, handcuffed her on the bar and escorted her out.”
The co-owner stated Chung’s alleged crime performed out in entrance of Francie’s well-heeled prospects, who may stand the warmth within the kitchen.
“It was essentially the most New York second ever,” Winterman stated of the nonplussed diners, who appeared extra apprehensive about their $148 dry-aged duck getting chilly than the accused foodie scofflaw’s antics.
“There have been a few feedback – nobody took an image,” he stated. “They simply began consuming and consuming once more.”
Only a day earlier, Chung had slipped into the close by Lavender Lake restaurant on Broadway in Williamsburg — the place cocktails begin 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 stated.
On Tuesday, Nov. 11, she then visited Motorino Pizza at 139 Broadway and refused to pay her $135 invoice, police stated.
She was arrested and charged with alleged theft of providers that very same day.
However the accused thief paints a completely completely different story on her weblog.
“Every slice reveals a deep rose heart below a caramelized crust — a stability of char and tenderness perfected over many years,” Chung raved in a put up about her Peter Luger steak, including, “The fats melts like silk, carrying the essence of oak and iron from the grill.”
A day later, she was arrested and charged for the alleged theft of providers and issued a desk-appearance ticket that orders her to look in courtroom.
A supervisor on the steakhouse informed The Submit that Chung went lacking for “45 minutes” round invoice time. They discovered her hiding within the restroom.
“She was within the lavatory. When she comes out to pay the verify, she requested the waiter if he’d prefer to care for her verify and he or she’d pay him again differently and never money,” stated Jeckson Leonardo, a supervisor at Peter Luger to The Submit, alleging Chung tried to pay for her steak for one in sexual favors.
“She stated, ‘Is there the rest I can do for you as a result of I don’t need to pay this verify,” Leonardo stated.
“We informed her we’re going to name the police,” the supervisor stated.
“Her arms have been so tiny the cop needed to put their fingers inside {the handcuffs} to escort her out,” Leonardo stated.
Chung didn’t reply to Submit requests for remark.
