“She wasn’t the kind of girl that expects guys to pay”: Fake foodfluencer Pei Chung’s friend shares after Brooklyn dine-and-dash controversy

Influencer Pei Chung's former close friends have shared more information about the infamous dine-and-dasher. For the unversed, the Taiwanese woman has been arrested seven times since October.

Chung is currently based in New York and has dined and dashed at multiple popular restaurants so far, including Peter Luger, Meadowsweet, Francie, Lavender Lake, Sea Thai, Misi, and 12 Chairs.

Pei Chung's last appearance was at the Israeli restaurant 12 Chairs. The chef and staff told the New York Post that she came dressed up and, after taking pictures of the ordered food, offered to pay using credit cards, which ended up declining, and with barter collabs.

The restaurant did not call the police on her. Peter Luger's manager told the news outlet that when the influencer's offers were refused, she supposedly wanted to perform sexual favors in exchange for the food.

Francie's owner shared with the media outlet that when Pei Chung was arrested at their restaurant on November 7, the police officers recognized her and said she was known as a serial dine-and-dasher.

An anonymous man told the New York Post that he used to be friends with Pei in 2021, as she was well known in the Taiwanese circle in New York back then. They seemingly bonded over classical music. He claimed that Chung was "smart," "very polite, well-mannered," and had a strong interest in "art and education."

He also noted that when they spent time in concerts and museums, the influencer paid for meals, and she reportedly never expected men to pay for her.

"We also had meals together several times, either alone or with friends. She treated me before, after I invited her to a concert. She wasn't the kind of girl that expects guys to pay. When we went out as a group, she also paid for her portion. I don't know about her other actual dates though," he said.

Pei Chung's former friend shared that she cut off all contact with her friends in late 2021

The man told the New York Post that the 35-year-old woman brought up her ex-boyfriend on multiple occasions. She became a "completely different person" after that and shared that her former partner was in New York and allegedly stalked her.

Pei Chung told him that she was "scared" and even asked him to pretend to be her boyfriend and live with her. The anonymous man stated that Pei was "unusual," so he declined her offer.

She then stopped hanging out with her friends in December 2021, and when they checked on her, Pei Chung claimed that her ex-boyfriend was reportedly bothering her, so she went into "hiding."

The Taiwanese native then stopped contacting her friends. They told the news outlet that they were surprised by Pei's dining and dashing, and even expressed speculation over her luxurious lifestyle.

Notably, Pei Chung used to be a UX designer, as per her LinkedIn page. However, she quit and became a content creator. Her last Instagram post was on October 24.

According to the New York Post's November 18, 2025, post, Pei Chung is free after a Brooklyn judge ordered her release without bail.

Stay tuned for more updates.