Influencer Persona or Culinary Con Artist: The Curious Case of Brooklyn’s Dine-and-Dash Star

19 November 2025

In the upscale dining rooms of Williamsburg, Brooklyn where the clinks of fine cutlery meet the hum of velvet banter, one woman’s presence now stands enmeshed in intrigue and accusation. Pei “Lu” Chung, a social media figure who once glided effortlessly into luxury aisles and exclusive galas, has been arrested multiple times since late October for skipping out on restaurant tabs with the finesse of someone accustomed to privilege. The allegations suggest she wasn’t just treating herself to high-end meals; she was orchestrating a string of dine-and-dash events that have left restaurateurs shaking their heads and law enforcement on alert.

According to New York City police reports and restaurant staff, Chung has entered establishments such as Michelin-starred Francie, renowned steakhouse Peter Luger and Italian destination Misi, dressed in designer ensembles, wielding a professional camera or lighting rig, ordering lavish courses and then allegedly refusing to pay. In several instances her credit cards were declined; in others she purported to barter her social-media “influencer” reach in lieu of payment. In one case a manager at Peter Luger claims Chung offered sexual favors instead of settling her tab.

Her modus operandi reads like part performance-art, part exploit: Arrive looking the part of the glam food-blogger, order the marbled meats and foie gras, strike pictures, post the dish with effusive captions praising the restaurant, then simply walk out when the bill arrives. One manager described her as entering like she had been hired, only to flip the script when payment was owed.

Chung’s backstory adds an eerie layer to the unfolding saga. Born in Taiwan, she was a high-achieving student playing violin from age three, attending university on scholarship and eventually relocating to New York to study information design. Friends remember her as part of the city’s socialite circuit from 2021, appearing at galas, nightclubs and elite concerts, elegantly dressed in Prada or Louis Vuitton. But around late 2021 friends say she vanished from that world, citing a stalking ex-boyfriend as the reason for her disappearance. She re-emerged in 2023 with a luxury-lifestyle online persona and a blog about food and fashion, though the source of her funds has remained murky.

The timing of the arrests with at least seven known since October have triggered serious concerns. While each incident individually may fall under theft of services, a misdemeanour in New York law, prosecutors warn that repetition could elevate charges to a felony scheme. Yet so far Chung has been released on supervised liberty, continuing to post lavish content even from behind the headlines.

To outsiders, Chung is both baffling and emblematic of a strange intersection: of social-media influencer culture, the pressure to monetise every image, and the vulnerability of upscale businesses to appearance-based scams. Some restaurateurs admit that they fell for the “influencer” pitch when Chung offered social-media coverage in exchange for a meal. Others are angry at the brazen audacity of turning a dining room into a scene of alleged fraud. Several say she mixed luxury images with empty shopping bags and declined cards, presenting the illusion of wealth while allegedly avoiding the cost.

As the restaurant industry watches with alarm, so too does the digital-culture community. The story has sparked a broader conversation about the authenticity of influencer claims, the ethics of online personas built on luxury access, and the cost when appearance and reality diverge. Chung’s case serves as a reminder that the curated image of access, glamor and instant aspiration may mask deeper inconsistencies. One Reddit user claimed that Chung’s dating-app profile pitched nightlife tips in exchange for financial advice, suggesting a pivot toward more complex forms of manipulation.

For Chung herself, there has been no public statement addressing the accusations in depth. Her Instagram is still populated with tinkering shots luxury fashion hauls, plated meals, dramatically composed shots of tables and terraces. Whether these posts represent genuine partnerships or a flamboyant cover story remains part of the intrigue. Meanwhile, restaurateurs whose tabs she allegedly left unpaid remain out money, and investigators are digging to understand whether her behaviour is opportunistic or part of a larger pattern.

In the end, this is not simply a story of unpaid bills or influencer stunts. It is a glimpse into the pressures of performance in both social media and real life, where image becomes currency and access seems inseparable from authority. For the city of New York and its fine-dining institutions the saga of Pei Chung raises questions not only of trust and payment but of how illusions of status can mask exploitation. Whether this protagonist is a misguided glamour-chaser, a calculated manipulator or something in between remains uncertain. What is clear is that one episode will no longer suffice as curiosity everyone involved is watching closely for what comes next.