Pei Chung, 34, flaunts a lavish lifestyle of designer handbags and expensive dinners in Michelin-star restaurants but she has been accused of refusing to pay her food bills
A glamorous woman who poses as a foodie influencer has been accused of defrauding top restaurants by dining then refusing to pay.
Pei Chung, 34, regularly flaunts designer clothes and expensive dinners to her 23,000 Instagram followers. While her lifestyle appears lavish, she has been accused of racking up huge bills at Michelin-star restaurants in New York and leaving without paying the bill.
Instead of cash, Chung has allegedly offered to pay the tab with positive social media posts, according to police reports.
The 34-year-old, who describes herself as Taiwanese, has reportedly been arrested at least five times since late October for ‘theft of services’. She is said to have targeted Peter Luger as well as Francie and Meadowsweet in Williamsburg, New York.
One insider told The New York Post: “She’s going into established restaurants dressed to the nines, racking up hundreds of dollars in food, defrauding them, then posting on Instagram like the restaurant hired her.’
They added: “‘All her cards were declined.”
She was accused of accruing a $188 bill in Francie on October 22 before offering a blog post instead of payment.
“She wanted to trade pictures and a blog post for the meal,” said John Winterman, co-owner of Francie. “I said, ‘That would be something we would have to agree upon before, and we haven’t done that, so I need you to pay the check’,” he said.
Winterman added that Chung’s card was declined before she said she was waiting for her family to send her money. The restaurateur claimed she came back several times for more food but was refused until she settled her bill.
Chung allegedly returned on November 7, ordered $83.83 worth of food and refused to pay the bill. The police were called and she was reportedly arrested.
Earlier in October, Chung is also accused of ordering $146 worth of food and drinks at Peter Luger, where she refused to pay and was later arrested.
On Tuesday, November 11, Chung allegedly visited Motorino Pizza and was arrested and charged after refusing to pay a $135 bill.
The New York Post then cites an NYPD report claiming that on Friday, November 14, Chung ordered around $100 of food from Italian restaurant Misi, before refusing to pay and being arrested.
The next evening, the NYPD say she visited Sea Thai, ordering $123 in food before she was again arrested.
In her review of Francie, she wrote: “The one-star Michelin restaurant combines architectural precision with soulful hospitality. Warm lighting, brass fixtures, and oak textures create an ambiance that feels both timeless.
“Dinner here unfolds like a design study: layered, intentional, and deeply personal.’
And of Peter Luger, she wrote: “Peter Luger Steak House hums with quiet assurance, a Michelin-awarded institution recognized yearly for its enduring excellence.”
She is next scheduled to appear in court in December.
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