Food critic Keith Lee is causing a stir on TikTok after he found something moving in his sushi.

Last week, the popular social media personality posted a video that shocked his TikTok followers: His legions of fans are sure they saw a “worm” in the sushi, and the backlash has been so intense that the restaurant chain is temporarily shutting down.

On November 10, Lee shared videos from Fob Sushi Bar in Seattle. And while the review starts out great—he says the spot came highly recommended by locals—things take a turn.

“[This is] sushi done in the most unique way I’ve ever seen in my life,” he tells the camera before explaining that Fob sells their menu items by the pound. He picked out $15 worth and shows off the box of nigiri and sashimi.

While Lee gives a relatively positive review—he says the fish is good, although the rice was slightly overcooked—fans notice something suspicious at the 1:50 minute mark—a “worm.”

“Nah, that fish definitely moved at 1:50,” one user wrote.

“Your favorite one had a worm on it,” another claimed.

“At 1:50, the end of your sushi was moving,” a third person said.

You can decide for yourself. Here’s the evidence:

Lee eventually followed up on the controversy with another TikTok, saying it “did appear that something moved” on the sushi. He added that he couldn’t “confirm or deny” whether it was actually a worm.

He has not experienced any suspicious side effects or illness, but claims that one person alleged that they were hospitalized the next day after eating at the same chain.

The restaurant called the allegations “false” in an Instagram post and said that they “follow strict FDA and HACCP standards to ensure the highest quality and safety in every dish.” They blamed the movement on the “natural elasticity” in the fresh fish.

“For the restaurant to post a statement indicating that me holding the sushi or me holding the chopsticks a certain way is why the sushi moved—I personally don’t agree with it,” Lee responded. “Because I’ve had sushi a thousand times, and I’ve held sushi a thousand different ways, and never once have I seen sushi behaving that way.”

On November 18, 10 days after the incident, Fob Sushi took to Instagram again to update customers. They announced plans to temporarily close their locations in Bellevue, Washington, and Seattle “until further notice.” The chain also said it is conducting a “thorough investigation” into the incident.

So what’s the verdict: it was a worm or just the sushi’s “natural elasticity”?

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Megan Schaltegger is an NYC-based writer. She loves strong coffee, eating her way through the Manhattan food scene, and her dog, Murray. She promises not to talk about herself in third person IRL.




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