A pan-Asian restaurant that opened in New York City just eight months ago shut its doors last week amid claims the white chef and career nutritionist, Arielle Haspel, “culturally appropriated” Chinese cuisine.

NBC News reports that Lucky Lee’s restaurant in Greenwich Village closed for good last Friday after being hit with a wave of accusations of racism. A sign posted on the door read, “it is with a heavy heart that we are shutting down our woks and ovens tonight.”

“We have truly loved feeding and entertaining you and your families,” the statement read. “We are very proud of our food and the space we created, but a lot needs to come together to make a restaurant work in New York City and we wish it could have succeeded as we hoped.”

Lucky Lee’s was open just eight months but faced allegations of cultural appropriation and outright racism before it even opened. Restauranteur Haspel is a former “Instagram influencer”-turned-lifestyle guru, health counseler, and jewelry designer, whose “Be Well With Arielle” site gets millions of views per month from consumers looking to “eat clean.” Lucky Lee’s was Haspel’s first foray into the restaurant world, and it was supposed to offer diners healthy Asian options. – READ MORE