A well-regarded San Francisco chef is out at all three of his celebrated restaurants after a fashion influencer publicly posted abusive messages he allegedly sent her.
Geoffrey Lee’s downfall apparently was sparked last month, after content creator Kat Ensign mildly criticized his hamburgers after she ate at one of his restaurants, the San Francisco Standard reported Friday.
Lee was the star behind Ju-Ni, a 10-year-old omakase restaurant that for five years was given one Michelin star, and the more low-key Handroll Project and Hamburger Project, both of which opened in late 2024.
“Effective immediately, Geoffrey Lee is relieved from his role as Executive Chef at Hamburger Project, Handroll Project, and Jū-Ni,” the company wrote on Instagram.
“Moving forward Geoffrey will no longer have any involvement in the operations of these restaurants. We have zero tolerance for the behavior he has exhibited in recent weeks,” according to the post. “As a company, we unequivocally condemn all forms of bullying and harassment whether online or in real life. This behavior is a stark contrast to the values and culture that we strive to uphold in our businesses.”
Ensign dissed Hamburger Project’s food on Instagram and TikTok, and Lee then called her out on social media.
Ensign took screenshots of the messages, and shared in a Dec. 23 post that has more than 100,000 views.
“She is so weird, it seems unstable,” Lee said in one missive, screenshots of which have since also been shared on Instagram. She has “the most annoying Karen voice,” he added, advising her to stop going to Golden State Warriors games so the team won’t lose.
Ensign said she ate at Hamburger Project on Dec. 10 and posted a mildly negative review, calling the smashburger “good but not great” and “not for me.”
Two weeks later, Lee began randomly commenting on her content.
“It was random things on every post, responding to people’s comments — my weight, my appearance,” she told The Standard. “Nothing about my experience [at Hamburger Project].”
Lee told The Standard he never commented on Ensign’s looks.
“There’s been accusations that I body-shamed her,” he said. “That’s entirely fabricated so she can control the narrative.”
As the backlash intensified, Lee made his social media private and then his decision to leave all three of his restaurants was made public Friday.
“I learned a lesson,” Lee said. “I shouldn’t have replied back. But I don’t believe that just because I’m a chef-owner, my voice should be silenced. What I was trying to figure out is what makes this influencer exempt from my critiques, but she’s allowed to come into my house, my restaurant, to criticize my food.”
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