An Italian chef is under fire for posting a racist picture on social media. Gianluca Gorini posted a picture of himself with his kitchen staff with rice picker hats pulling their eyes back on Instagram, reports NBC News. He was called out for his racist slant-eyed pose which led to him deleting the photo.

However, before it was deleted, restauranteur Jen Agg captured the photo and posted it on social media.

Much feted Italian restaurant daGorini did an event for @THEGELINAZ shuffle and here is a pic the chef Gianluca Gorini posted. It’s got way more likes than comments at the moment which is….staggering and gross and sadly, unsurprising. Truly fucked. pic.twitter.com/nLvPYEgSgM — Jen Agg (@TheBlackHoof) December 4, 2019

Gianluca Gorini runs the restaurant “daGiorni” in Bagno, Italy. Their team was participating in the “Gelinaz! Shuffle” which is a global cultural exchange for one night. Chefs from all around the world exchange and interpret recipes learning about each others culture. This year, Gorini was teamed with chef Victor Liong of Chinese restaurant “Lee Ho Fook” in Australia.

After the social media backlash, Giorini went on social media to issue an apology. He said the picture was taken due to “the excitement and enthusiasm” of learning a new culture and not understanding the meaning of the pose “well enough.”

“I strongly believe in comparison, sharing and contamination with other cultures and countries as a stimulus for my growth and that of future generations,” he said. “I apologize to all those I have offended.

“It was not my intention to offend anyone, much less discriminate against other cultures.”

He finished his post by inviting Victor Liong to Italy to “celebrate” different cultures.

Consequently, “Gelinaz! Shuffle” issued a statement reprimanding Gianluca Gorini. They said they were “deeply shocked and stunned by the offensive and humiliating photo.” As a result, they said that Gorini will be banned from participating in any future events.

However, they hoped that Gorini and Long would get together in April 2020 to “create dialogue and overcome ignorance.” As of now, Victor Long has not commented on the issue.