The internet can be a wild place. One minute you're watching a guy eat a piece of fish in his car, and the next, a multi-location restaurant is shutting its doors indefinitely. That’s basically the "Keith Lee Effect" in reverse. Usually, when Keith Lee drops a video, the restaurant owners are bracing for lines around the block and life-changing revenue. But the Keith Lee sushi video in Seattle took a dark, weird turn that nobody—not even Keith himself—saw coming.
If you’ve been on TikTok lately, you probably saw the clips. People were slowing down the footage, zooming in until the pixels screamed, and pointing at a tiny flicker on a piece of fish. Was it a parasite? Was it just the rice? Honestly, the fallout was more intense than the video itself.
The Seattle Review That Went Sideways
In November 2024, Keith Lee landed in Seattle. He’s known for finding these "hidden gems" and giving them the ultimate signal boost. One of his stops was FOB Sushi Bar, a spot that does sushi by the pound. Keith actually liked it. He called it "heaven" for sushi lovers and gave the food a solid rating, specifically praising the freshness. He’s allergic to shellfish, so he was careful about what he picked, but overall, it was a win.
Then the "detectives" in the comment section got to work.
Around the 1:50 mark of the video, Keith picks up a piece of nigiri. As he holds it up to the camera, something seems to... twitch. It’s a split second. Most people missed it on the first watch. But once one person commented "Is that a worm?", the floodgates opened. The video didn't just go viral; it became a forensic investigation.
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What was actually moving?
FOB Sushi didn't stay quiet. They quickly hopped on Instagram to defend themselves. Their explanation? They claimed the "movement" was just the natural elasticity of the fish reacting to the pressure of Keith’s chopsticks.
Keith wasn't buying it. In a follow-up video, he basically said, "Look, I’ve eaten sushi a thousand times in a thousand different ways. I've never seen fish move like that." He wasn't necessarily calling it a parasite, but he was definitely distancing himself from the restaurant’s "chopstick pressure" theory.
Real Consequences in Real Time
This isn't just about a viral moment. This had massive, real-world stakes. Within days of the video blowing up, FOB Sushi Bar announced they were closing their locations in Seattle and Bellevue.
Imagine that. One day you’re seeing a 50% spike in sales because Keith Lee visited (which the owners initially reported), and less than a week later, you’re locking the doors because the internet thinks you’re serving parasites.
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- The Hospitalization Rumor: Keith mentioned he saw a video of another customer claiming to be hospitalized after eating at the same spot. This added a lot of fuel to the fire.
- The Health Department Step-In: Seattle and King County Public Health officials actually went out to investigate. Interestingly, the restaurant had a "satisfactory" or even "excellent" rating prior to the drama.
- The Reopening: After about two weeks of being closed and undergoing a full investigation, FOB Sushi reopened in December 2024. Health inspectors gave them a clean bill of health, finding no violations.
It’s a classic case of how fast "cancel culture" can move in the food world. Even though the health department cleared them, the stigma of the "Keith Lee sushi video" is something a small business has to fight for a long time.
The Truth About Sushi and Parasites
Since we're talking about the Keith Lee sushi video, we have to talk about the reality of raw fish. If you eat sushi, you've gotta be a little realistic.
Most wild-caught fish actually have parasites. It’s just nature. This is why the FDA has strict "Parasite Destruction Requirements." Basically, any fish intended to be eaten raw (with a few exceptions like certain tuna) has to be flash-frozen at specific temperatures—usually $-31^\circ\text{F}$ ($-35^\circ\text{C}$) for 15 hours or $-4^\circ\text{F}$ ($-20^\circ\text{C}$) for seven days.
This freezing process kills the parasites. Even if a "worm" is present, if the fish was frozen correctly, it’s dead and harmless (though obviously still gross to look at). The problem in the Keith Lee video was that the thing appeared to be moving. If something is moving, the freezing process didn't happen or wasn't cold enough.
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Why the internet freaked out
People are terrified of Anisakis, which is the most common sushi parasite. It can cause some pretty nasty stomach pain and nausea. But experts, like those interviewed by Seattle Met, noted that many things can cause movement in a video—light reflections, moisture, or even just the way the fish fibers settle. Without the actual piece of fish in a lab, we’ll never truly know what it was.
Lessons from the "Wormgate" Drama
This whole situation changed how people look at food influencers. Keith Lee is great because he’s honest, but his platform is so big now that even a "positive" review can accidentally destroy a business if the audience finds a flaw.
If you're a sushi lover, here’s how you can actually stay safe without living in fear of every TikTok video:
- Check the Health Ratings: Don't just trust a viral video. Look up the local health department scores. Most cities have a searchable database.
- Ask About the Source: Reputable sushi spots are usually proud of where they get their fish and how they process it.
- Know the Risk: Eating raw food always carries a non-zero risk. It’s part of the deal.
- Look for "Sushi Grade": While this isn't a legal FDA term, it usually indicates the fish has been handled and frozen specifically for raw consumption.
The FOB Sushi saga eventually cooled down, but it serves as a massive reminder of the power of the camera lens. Keith Lee stayed healthy, the restaurant reopened with a clean record, and the rest of us learned way more about fish parasites than we ever wanted to know.
How to handle a food safety concern
If you ever find yourself in a situation where you think your food is unsafe, don't just post it on TikTok. Save the evidence, notify the manager immediately, and report it to your local health department. Social media is great for accountability, but professional inspections are what actually keep the public safe. Following the official channels ensures that a business gets a fair investigation rather than a trial by "for you page" comments.