Alex Kang found himself in an awkward position Thursday morning as he prepared to open the doors of his Okonomi Asian Grill. The founder — or “supreme leader,” as he identifies himself on his cards — was telling regulars to please, please not visit his fast-casual restaurant in Fairfax, Va., not unless they order ahead and were prepared for a lengthy wait.
His supplies were running low from the previous day, when about 400 orders poured into his system, which tends to handle no more than 80 a day. He had run out of corn salsa within 90 minutes of opening Thursday, and his stockpile of caramelized onions wasn’t going to last much longer, either. Kang figured he had enough ingredients to produce about 130 Chipotle-style bowls, and then he’d have to call it quits for the day.
Kang was suffering — if that’s the right word for it — from the “Keith Lee effect,” the fallout of the TikTok food critic’s viral reviews. Lee dropped a review of Okonomi early Wednesday, before Kang even woke up…