Ron Wilkins

Journal & Courier

Ellie Parker and Lucy Stenger just wanted an enjoyable Valentines Day dinner at one of Parker's favorite restaurants — Asahi Japanese Steakhouse. But what they say they got was sexually harassed by a chef.

Parker and Stenger, who have dated for three months, settled in with a crowd of people in front of the grill and awaited the chef to begin his table show of preparing their dinners.

“He was going around the table asking if the person with them was their husband or boyfriend," Parker said. "He got to us, and asked where our Valentines were, and we said, ‘We’re each other’s Valentines.’

“He then said, ‘I know it’s legal, but it’s a waste not to have a man.’ Which sort of offended us, but we didn’t want to cause a scene," Parker said. "We just aren’t that type of couple.”

Stenger said, “It’s the first time anybody has said anything negative about our relationship or said anything in public in front of other people.”

But the chef was not finished insulting the women.

Part of the chef's performance involves a trick that kicks up the flames on the grill.

As the grill erupted in fire, Parker said the chef looked that them and said, "If you guys are having trouble in the bedroom, you can always bring me to heat things up."

“It made both of us very uncomfortable,” she said.

In a prepared statement, Asahi Japanese Steakhouse, management said, "We at Asahi are extremely sorry for the incident that occurred on Feb. 14, 2016.

"In our 14 years of providing quality food, service and entertainment to our customers this is the first time we were made aware that customers were offended by one of our chef's comments during the entertainment portion of the meal.

"No malice or disrespect was intended."

Parker and Stenger ate their Valentine's Day dinner and paid the bill without leaving a monetary tip. Instead, they shared some advice, writing on the receipt, "Don't tell lesbians they need a man on Valentines Day."

Parker posted a photograph of the receipt and their tip on her Facebook page and tagged Asahi Japanese Steakhouse in the post.

"Since then, it has gone viral, which I was not expecting,” she said.

Asahi's prepared statement indicated they offered the women a full refund, as well as a complimentary meal.

Parker said that offer was contingent upon her taking the post off of Facebook, which she said she will not do.

The women are not interested in pursuing the matter beyond the Facebook post or the publicity the post has received.

“I just really want to make it known that sexual harassment is never a joke,” Stenger said.

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