Salt Bae posts unrecognisable throwback photo as a fresh-faced 12-year-old without his trademark sunglasses
SALT Bae shared a throwback photo from his childhood looking unrecognisable without his trademark sunglasses and slicked-back ponytail.
The celebrity chef was pictured looking fresh-faced as a boy in 1995 without his signature props to hide behind.
The Turkish social media star – real name Nusret Gökçe – uploaded the adorable snap to his Instagram highlights.
He was seen at the tender age of 12 sitting behind a cash register – forecasting his money-making career as a world-renowned restauranteur.
The young Salt Bae sported his usual serious stare while posing in a white shirt paired with a matching cap.
Gökçe simply captioned the snap: “Salt Bae 1995.”
Fans of the controversial Nusr-et frontman hardly recognised him without his signature shades and perfectly groomed ponytail.
The fame hungry chef seems to be digging old throwbacks to quell the controversy surrounding his World Cup antics.
He posted an old video of him hugging Lionel Messi from their only known previous meeting in 2018 after the Argentinian star snubbed him on the pitch.
Messi and his wife dined at Gökçe’s steakhouse in Dubai before embracing after chowing down an extortionate meal.
But Salt Bae’s 50million Instagram followers branded it “cringe” and accused him of a desperate attempt to prove he is pals with Messi after getting the cold shoulder days earlier.
The outlandish chef was seen badgering the superstar as he revelled in Argentina’s World Cup win.
He grabbed Messi’s arm repeatedly until the footie ace finally relented and posed for a picture.
The fury continued after he posted pics on Instagram of him holding the 18-carat gold trophy – a privilege reserved for the winning team and heads of state.
Salt Bae muscled in among the squad to grab the limelight and even snatched the trophy from Cristian Romero‘s baby.
He then acted out his trademark salt-sprinkling trick over the £17million award as irritated players watched on in confusion.
It seems Salt Bae had worked up an appetite with his embarrassing antics – as he took a chunk out of Franco Armani‘s winner’s medal.
Gökçe looked like he was craving one of his extortionate gold-encrusted steaks as he gnawed at the goalkeeper’s award.
He posed with the medal between his teeth while it was still tethered around Armani’s neck in the awkward snap.
Other images show him boldly grabbing Argentinian players’ medals just moments after they had been awarded them.
Influencer Dan Bilzerian even spoke out amid the controversy, claiming Gökçe has been harassing him for years.
The “King of Instagram” said he knew the chef was “weird” after he bombarded him with wacky pictures of himself.
The disgraceful spectacle reportedly broke Fifa’s rules and saw BBC host Gary Lineker brand him a “pest.”
Fifa has now launched an internal investigation into how Salt Bae invaded the pitch at the World Cup Final.
Gökçe is said to be pals with controversial Fifa chief Infantino, who praised him as “number one” after visiting his Qatar steak house during the tournament.
He was filmed saying: “Football unites the world and Nusrat unites the world as well.”
If he was given “access all areas” accreditation, that would open the governing body to allegations of cronyism or special treatment for Infantino’s friends, reports The Times.
The controversy prompted footage of Diego Maradona mocking the Nusr-Et tycoon’s gimmick right in front of him to resurface.
The Argentinian legend poked fun at Sat Bae during a visit to one of his restaurants in 2018.
But the chef bit back with another publicity stunt – by sharing a video showing a “permanently reserved” table as a shrine to the late and great footballer.
Former Brazil striker Ronaldo and left back Roberto Carlos – world cup winners in 2002 – enjoyed a slap-up meal at his Qatar branch on November 28.
Current squad players Vinicius Jr, Gabriel Jesus, Éder Militão and Bremer also joined the party after they beat Switzerland.
England’s Jack Grealish, Poland ace Robert Lewandowski and the Spanish team also visited during the tournament.
Last month, Salt Bae sparked fury for boasting how a group racked up a bill for £140,584 at his diner in Abu Dhabi.
A single steak from the evening was over £1,000, and the group spent almost £115,000 on wine alone.