Sage and Ember

Chef Luke Sung, a two-time James Beard nominee and co-owner of Kis Cafe in San Francisco, just got fired after telling an influencer she wasn’t famous enough for a free meal.

She had 15k followers. She asked for a comp. He said no. She filmed it. Cried. Posted it. The video hit 10 million views. She gained 235,000 followers overnight. He lost his job. The restaurant temporarily shut down.

All this started because someone wanted some free avocado toast.

Kis Cafe cited the chef’s comments as “unacceptable.” The influencer (now sitting at a quarter million followers) says this is about more than clout—it’s about respect for micro-influencers and how follower count shouldn’t define your worth.
She’s now building a platform to advocate for creators who get ignored by PR agencies and promo managers. Respectfully, she’s right. Also respectfully: she definitely won’t be paying for brunch any time soon.

And honestly, the whole thing’s a wild snapshot of the current ecosystem:

👩‍🍳 Chefs who spent 20 years perfecting duck confit can get deplatformed in 24 hours.
📲 Influencers can turn “no” into 250k followers if the lighting is good.
📉 Restaurants can crumble under 10 seconds of bad TikTok PR.
🥗 And apparently, free meals have a higher ROI than your firstborn.

Welcome to the era where clout beats credentials—every single time.

Saffron — the world’s most expensive spice, harvested by hand from the Crocus sativus flower.
It takes over 75,000 blossoms to produce just one pound. In our kitchen we use it sparingly but purposefully, to bring warmth, color, and depth to our dishes.

Try these cookie recipes this week — and hit follow for more 🍪🔥

🔪 Sharp knife = safer hands.
Dull blades don’t protect you — they betray you.
Respect your tools. Hone daily. Sharpen often. Let the knife do the work.