After bankruptcy: Israeli restaurant hit with a multi-million lawsuit from chef
Troubles continue: An expert chef brought to Israel is suing the owners of a well-known restaurant group for ongoing exploitation, while the owners claim it is a frivolous, false lawsuit by an illegal resident, and that the restaurant is in insolvency proceedings after accumulating debts and closing.
A massive lawsuit is shaking the Tel Aviv restaurant scene and shedding light on the industry's behind-the-scenes: Am An Zhenyu, the Chinese chef who led the kitchen at the Vietnamese restaurant "Wong," is demanding compensation of approximately 3.81 million shekels from the restaurant's owners and the companies operating it.
In a statement of claim filed with the Regional Labor Court in Bat Yam, a picture of ongoing exploitation, violation of mandatory rights, and abusive employment conditions over more than five years is revealed, according to a report by "Walla".
Zhenyu was brought to Israel from China in May 2019 under a special status of "expert ethnic chef." This status requires the employer to pay double the average wage in the economy — about 22,000 shekels per month. However, according to the lawsuit, in practice he was paid only a partial salary of about 15,000 shekels on average, which he withdrew in cash, while the employers took advantage of his language difficulties and lack of familiarity with Israeli labor laws.
According to the statement of claim, the chef worked about 16 to 17 hours a day, 25 days a month. By his calculations, the component of unpaid overtime over his 64 months of work amounts to more than 2.2 million shekels.
"Throughout this entire period, I did not receive even one pay slip; I was denied pension and severance contributions, and I was not paid for recuperation, holidays, or accrued vacation days," the plaintiff stated.
The situation reached its peak in August 2024, when the chef was fired via a short WhatsApp message without a hearing. The lawsuit, filed through attorney Reuven Milman, is directed against owners Inbar Zaruk and I've Gabriel, alongside six companies from the "Ze Sushi" group. The plaintiff is asking to lift the corporate veil and hold the owners personally liable for the full amount of the lawsuit.
On the other hand, the owners reject the accusations entirely. The representative for Inbar Zaruk, attorney Amit Gross, stated that this is a frivolous lawsuit based on false claims. According to the response, the plaintiff is in Israel illegally and is trying to use the legal process to exert improper pressure after his demands for a settlement were rejected. The restaurant maintains that the employee received his full salary and that the company is currently in insolvency proceedings after the restaurant was closed. Evidence will be presented in court.
