Turkish celebrity chef Salt Bae – who became famous for his unique way of salting meat – has asked his 40 million Insta followers to wish him “good luck” for his new restaurant opening in central London today.

The chef, whose real name is Nusret Gokce, is opening the Nusr-Et Steakhouse London today (23rd September) at the Park Tower Knightsbridge after flying in from the United Arab Emirates.

The restaurant has been in development since 2018, but the Turkish entrepreneur suffered a series of setbacks including lawsuits and poor reviews and this appears to have caused some delays to the grand opening in London.

However, any problems now seem to be in the past after he announced to his army of 38.4 million followers on Instagram that the restaurant is opening today.

Salt Bae also has restaurant businesses in Ankara, Miami, New York, Boston, Beverly Hills, Abu Dhabi and Dubai, among other places.

The chef became a viral meme in 2017 after his unique style of cutting and salting meat wowed the internet.

It was not long before the famous chef no longer had any time to cook, having to pose with fans for pictures instead.

The Internet is awash with photos of him taking selfies with diners and celebrities and he even famously complained about not having time to cook anymore as posing for photos had become “his duty”.

The exposure nonetheless led to investors backing his many restaurant ventures, some more successful than others.

Reviews of his New York steakhouse have been mixed since its opening in 2018, with many saying that the food was overpriced. But reviewers did enjoy the entertainment value his restaurants offer.