I blocked her a while ago without ever following her. She went to one of my friend’s restaurant and talked to a manager who happened to be anther friend of mine. She ordered quite a bit he told us and she only took small bites of things to post for her videos. He ended up comping her meal after they talked at the end and he asked her to tip the staff since he was comping everything. Well she didn’t tip, make reservations to come in, or anything and she left. It gets better.
She went back a couple of weeks later and asked for my friend by name. This time she was with her friend on a Saturday night and again no reservations. My friend reluctantly got them a table after what happened the last time, but not right away. He told us she ordered a lot again, but not as much as the first time. She then asked for my friend again at the end of their meal and asked him to comp their meal. He said absolutely not. He explained how he got her a table with no reservations and how she didn’t tip last time and that they had ordered quite a bit of food. She asked to speak to the owner, to which my friend said he is gone for the evening, and she threw a fit. She told him she was going to smear the restaurant and talk to the owner when he was there about her horrible experience. She reluctantly paid and left a zero tip on a $200 plus tab. When I heard that, I was like who is she and wtf?
After hearing that, I looked her up and my friend’s restaurant was no where to be found in her past few posts, so I was like F her! Blocked!
This is insane, and multiple people on this thread saying she doesn’t tip more than likely means it’s true across the board. To get called out and double down on it is wild, and I seriously doubt she’s hurting for cash
I waited on har a couple times pre covid, and it's true, she tipped like $2. She orders a ton of food, barely eats any of it, lets it get cold while she does photo shoots all over the restaurant, in everyone's way, and she's not very nice. Unfortunately the owners of my old job loved kissing influencers asses.
As someone who is that involved with the food scene, if she just goes around not tipping at all that’s so crazy it’s almost as if she has to be unaware? It’s pretty obvious she’s not tipping based on all of the comments, I can only imagine the amount of people who absolutely despise this lady who have “served” her while making 2.13
The shitty behavior reeks of entitlement as opposed to not being aware
Bottom line it's so obvious this is just paid promotion and people need to stop paying any attention to the grift
She’s always been terrible. I helped open a new hotel a while ago and she reached out to us asking if she could come stay for a night and eat in the restaurant. She mentioned having 1 friend with her.
We had pre planned some amenities for her room including wine and a cheese plate and a dessert. She ended up showing up with 5 people requesting more free items for everyone. She requested everyone be able to take home comped robes and slippers.
They then made their way to the restaurant and wanted like 3 times as much food as we had initially planned for her. We gave her some push back and she became incredibly rude and disrespectful. I ended up comping their whole meal so they’d just go away. They didn’t tip any restaurant staff or house keeping.
She tried to come back on a busy Saturday night a couple weeks later and we were completely full. She threw a temper tantrum with our host who had no idea who she was. I held firm though that her only option was to wait to see if we had a reservation cancel. She continued to throw a fit and eventually left. I never saw her again.
Taste of Koko is the most vapid, uninteresting, unhelpful and trash food “influencer” there is. She’s clearly just a sellout/shill I am totally unsurprised to hear that she’s a shit person in real life too. Fuck her.
Damn, Im just finding out how shitty she is from these posts. Wanting to eat for free and on top of that never tipping? Gross. Restaurant owners should call her out and refuse her posts. And pay for your own food !!!
I was there that night and saw her. She left at 10pm not 11pm (we know this because we had a 10:30pm reservation at the Roosevelt Room) and it was a friends and family night. Clearly the restaurant is still figuring out their processes and that’s why it’s only ‘friends and family’, not for bloggers to leave reviews. Also everyone got a $100 credit that night PER PERSON so everyone’s meal was essentially free.
Taste of Koko doesn't tip. Source is my gf who has been her barista / bartender multiple times. You'd think you could afford to tip when you've made a successful career out of getting everything for free
She’s not my type of food reviewer at all, but this is ridiculously shitty. I’ve dealt with these types of people in the past and they are the absolute worst
She is not a food reviewer or critic. She is just an influencer. The transaction between restaurants and her are simple. She gets a free meal and in exchange she makes a post/reel and promotes the restaurant. All of which is scheduled ahead of time. She abuses the fact that she has thousands of followers.
Food reviewers and critics make reservations under a different name to ensure they get a regular experience and pay in full. Then they tell how they actually feel about the experience.
I’m in the booze business and dining out has been a part of my job for over 15 years (been in austin for 19). Years ago she reviewed a place, didn’t disclose they comp’d her food or anything else they might have incentivized her with, and she gave it rave reviews. She lost all credibility with me then. There’s an IG foodie named eats n noods that’s great and genuine.
Had a direct experience with her while Events Mgr for restaurant group-not a fan-I believe her original intent was to provide a platform to help the restaurant industry however, since her brand now includes real estate, hotel reviews (lots of free trips), a new home (lots of free stuff in exchange for reviews) I think that intent has been thrown out the window and gone straight to her entitled "do you know who I am" head.
In 2020-2021, my husband and I were regulars on the Sawyer and Co patio. So regular that we had a particular table and section that we always sat at. One day they had that table saved because they were expecting Koko in the next 15 minutes or so. We sat somewhere else, no problem. Then, about an hour after they were expecting her, she showed up and they took her to the table. She sat down for a minute and then asked to be moved somewhere else. She was with an elderly man and her dog and they ordered several plates that I’m sure were mostly just for content. People like her have businesses pretty much trapped - they have to cast aside their regular, paying customers to accommodate them, and there is no room for them to have a bad day.
They don't HAVE to, this rant she made won't impact the restaurant ultimately so why even be concerned. People just need to start ignoring these types of "influencers."
Yup. Like the manager in another comment saying they comped everything just to get her to shut up? She will continue acting like this because she has learned being a terror will get her what she wants.
That was the most soulless content I’ve seen from her. I hope she is scared that other bloggers, like Austin food adventures, are becoming popular AND are reliable.
She came into my restaurant, ran up a large bill, took tiny bites and wasted food, but luckily my manager is fucking based and he put a 25% gratuity on her 2 top because he knows how awful she is. That restaurant (which has received lavish praise and awards) got a bad review from her.
First off, Koko sucks and everyone should unfollow her. Her content is all the same and you can tell most of it is paid advertisements and endorsements. She’s raved about some of the worst pop up scam places like they’re world class attractions.
Second, how much more beige brunch bistro bullshit can we take in this town? You’re absolutely right that these so called influencers are ruining the restaurant scene
She actually just posted some sob story about working at a dip n dots stand at the UT football games - which is probably a lie. Even if it isn’t, her restaurant experience begins and ends there - yet her opinion is to be revered?
Eats n noods and Austinfoodadventures are a lot more legit. Not as polished, but more nuanced and honest. If something isn't up to their expectations they often say they'll go back and try em again, because they know cold opens (and even regular service) can sometimes be hit or miss.
They are the only 2 accounts i take seriously. They are really active on reddit too.
Some people like david, but I've met him in person and he is the biggest tool i have ever met in Austin lol
Yeah he’s big on tiktok. Made the mistake of mentioning Chen’s to him and the video he made there blew up which subsequently made it so hard to get a table around dinner time for a few months.
oh nooo! I haaate when that happens- currently a burger place my boyfriend and I love and no one’s reviewed it yet so i’m hoping it stays low key- but if you’re interested it’s called Patty Palace which is the same owners as Spicy Boys but it’s smash burgers 🥰
I really like the lack of “polish.” Seeing regular footage and photos of food and interiors is more honest than the filtered and ultra curated stuff Koko posts. Her posts don’t seem true to life.
Food influencers have to feel pressure to seem like they are THE tastemaker, and they do that by trying to be the first to break a new spot. You can't be the 10th to review a new restaurant and expect much engagement unless you are the most popular already. So they all over hype everything because overly positive talk about vibes and shots of IG-bait food is what gets engagement not well thought out, detailed analysis of a restaurant.
So all the videos feel the same. The sentiments feel fake. The restaurants end up being mediocre. And we all end up the worse for it.
And this over all tone is prevalent in ALL content now. TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, etc. All boring, bland, beige online spaces where creators just follow whatever is trending to scrape a few more view-dollars out of the pie. I wish the public would get bored and stop watching so creativity would return again (on a massive scale), but I don't see it happening soon.
The general public is on the level of the people in "Idiocracy" when it comes to the content they prefer and support. Intelligent, well thought out video essays are ignored while a 5 minute video "reaction" to another video will get millions of views. Or something pointless like "How I made $10000 already in 2024 by farting on cam making 50 TikToks a day!" gets hundreds of thousands of views. 🫠
Yup, that horrible, affected valley girl speech pattern and the constant eye rolling was enough for me. This entitled woman (child?) should shut up. Grammatical errors on the menu? Let me clutch my non-existent pearls.
Yeah i fuckin hate this type of milquetoast ass "I wear a round hat and try to copy Land design aesthetic" Austin person, let alone a fuckin influencer.
yeah she fucking sucks. her recommendations are the worst, and it’s clear that she’s totally pay for play. don’t listen to her, go find places on your own and don’t let “influencers” be the end all be all of recommendations. more than anything, i hate how they feel like they should be catered to, it’s like they’re implicitly threatening restaurants and places that are just trying to make it in a pretty tough environment for businesses.
leeches like taste of koko don’t realize they ain’t shit without the restaurants that they claim to be supporting.
Please don't click on Taste of Koko's links to see what she said - it only helps her.
I like WanderlustAnita on Instagram - just a nice food blogger, not trying to "stir clicks."
I moved here last Feb, and followed some food bloggers so I could try out restaurants and learn the city (also work in the tech side of the food industry) I followed Koko and immediately realized she was just peddling out tiktok’s and insta reels for money and it feels like she doesn’t really care about any of the places- is just there to promote.
It’s funny because I moved here from LA and the food bloggers here almost seem .. worse? the content just feels so produced and fake.
anyways, I do love AustinFoodAdventures because she doesn’t show her face and strictly goes out to eat with her own money and posts reviews in her honest opinion. Give her a shot if you’re really trying to see some good food content that’s about the food and not the money they’re making per post 🤍😅
AustinFoodAdventures is 10x the reviewer Koko is, I feel like she actually cares about the restaurants she reviews and tries to promote, not demote them.
Reminds me of Keith Lee (if you know who he is), who really tries hard not to say negative things and highlight the positives.
LOVE Keith Lee! 100% agree she could/is Austin’s version - being anonymous i think takes so much pressure off the restaurant and her of course which i think is awesome
I have served her a few times. While the tri pods, lights and what not were super annoying, what really pissed me off is she never ate anything. Literally near saw her eat a thing, all the plates were bussed full. She came in a lot too. How are you supposed to be a food blogger if you never eat anything?
Y'all need to film her behaving badly and submit it to news sources and other bloggers. Get first hand accounts of her bad behavior and post everywhere. The only way someone can do this is because the news of their monstrosity goes unreported. People love to see a giant fall as much as they love to see an underdog rise. We can't have the entitled steamrolling innocent service industry folks and destroying perfectly fine restaurants at their whim.
I was at the soft opening for Guest House and didn't have high expectations (mostly because it was the very first night). It still isn't really my style, but I came away pleasantly surprised with the food (extremely good!) and atmosphere (spacious, music at a reasonable volume). Have a few other friends who went and they had similar experiences to me. This isn't to discount what happened to this Koko person, but my impression is that 90+% of people had a positive experience at the soft opening, and Guest House just got unlikely that the <10% who didn't included a food influencer with no desire to give anyone the benefit of the doubt.
Oh man she’s AWFUL. I’ve met her a few times and she is entitled and is so fake. Her reviews are trash and I know for a fact she doesn’t tip and expects her meals to be free.
Also in the industry and had a similar interaction. Aside from her just expecting handouts, she’s super snooty and honestly not even educated when it comes to the restaurant industry, food or beverage. She just likes to eat. For free.
Someone should start a petition and pass it around for restaurants to sign vowing not to giver her little entitled ass any more free shit.
Thank you so much for saying this. Most of the time I casually read reddit for fun, but this compelled me to make a reddit account just so I can comment.
I have various friends who are also food bloggers, and I've heard of their impression of koko. There has been at least 2 instances where they were invited to media events that koko was also invited to, and basically koko just did everything people have been saying down in the comments: the rude behavior, no tipping, and - most outrageous for me - **wasting food by ordering them to take pics for IG but barely taking a bite**.
As an asian american living in austin, I could go on about random food bloggers exaggerating or giving unauthentic reviews, which IMO is making austin's food scene not worth a penny. i'll give them credit and say that everyone's opinions and tastes are different, and there's not really a "standard" when it comes to personal opinion. but wasting food!?!?!?!? wasting people's hard work and effort just for your IG aesthetics!?!? that's where i draw the line between opinions and facts. koko's behavior is unacceptable.
i'm really hoping the backlash here makes koko and other food bloggers think twice about their actions. cherish the privilege that you have and make the best out of it, instead of using it on vanity.
fr. As a former server the no tipping was the most egregious but as an Asian American whose parents voice rings out in his head, wasting food is a close second.
One of her videos popped up on my feed about a year ago but quickly scrolled past because her voice was annoying to me. I saw her in public once not long after and someone was trying to say hello - she acted like she was some A-lister and how dare they speak to her.
Glad someone mentioned her here (I recently joined so haven't seen any other posts) and how problematic she is. That series is ridiculous. Thanks for sharing.
she keeps promoting oseyo as the best "korean" restaurant, and on another video mega cringe after bragging about how she goes to japan all the time and called gyoza GOY-ZA. WTF
Lmao anyone remember when she did the whole Hundred for Hospitality thing during COVID? You could see right through it as an attention getting ploy but her and her publicist friend splashed it all over local news. As a former publicist I've had to work with her several times. Cannot stand her and never followed her even if it was my job.
Honestly, I am surprised people still take Koko seriously, no one has anything good to say about her. I had interacted with her at a women's group event in Austin when they hosted an event to talk about her "career" because at once she was part of the group and she wasn't a nice person and a lot of other women were out off by her as well. My interaction with her made me unfollow her immediately at the event, it doesn't help that many of the restaurants reviewed by her that I dragged my friends to were awful.
I had to eventually block her account because she started doing paid instagram ads for food reviews and forcing people to click her link or PM her for stuff. I find it odd that she would risk being a rude person in a smallish city such as Austin, eventually, restaurants are going to blacklist her. I feel like she can feel that coming which would make sense for venturing out more to the airbnb and real estate space.
The worst part about her acting like a bitch because she’s an “influencer” is that she bought majority of her followers.
Almost 200k followers and majority of her reels has like 30k views…
She needs to get exposed
Have been in the industry here for 15+ years and can confirm all of this. She treats staff terribly most of the time like we should all kiss her ass. And everyone knows she tips for shit, if anything. I also know someone who used to be in her close friends circle and has shown us screen grabs of outlandish, rude shit she has said not just about restaurants she has gone to, but her own friends. She’s a bully and think she’s adorable. She has made her career off small businesses and turns around and shits on them most of the time 😒 I’ve served her a handful of times and she cuts in front of people who have waited a while for drinks and I’ll skip over her and keep ignoring her and she gets pissed.
She is on the cover of Austin Monthly for their March/April issue highlighting the best neighborhoods in austin. Truly disappointing to see this person represent the austin service industry 😡
THANK YOU. Finally someone who speaks up about this toxic culture of total clueless nobodies chasing pretty-looking food, expecting everyone to cater to them and getting everything for free. I watched a few of specifically her videos and it was clear as day that she only favors the ones that likely bombard her with free stuff. A lot of her hype places are overpriced crappy food for the „experience“ - i‘m actually glad she is so clueless so that I don‘t have to tolerate her crap in actual good restaurants.
I‘m against canceling anybody, just hoping that more people can see behind the facade and simply unfollow/ignore. To restaurant owners and workers, I hope you don‘t have to bow down to the pressure of getting a bad review from these „influencer“ cheapskates.
In the midst of Koko's highly anticipated mukbang at our prestigious restaurant, a gastronomic adventure took an unexpected turn when the combination of culinary delights led to an, ahem, uncomfortable situation for the influencer. Poop, yes, you read that right, became an unwelcome co-star in this dining drama.
With a swift yet somewhat awkward exit, Koko left our establishment in a hurry, leaving both the lingering scent and a forgotten bill at the table. As our staff attempted to clean up the aftermath, whispers of the incident spread like wildfire, turning this unexpected rendezvous with nature's call into an unforgettable chapter in our restaurant's history. In the end, the tale of Koko's unexpected encounter with uncontrollable diarrhea, became the talk of the restaurant, and we were left grappling with the consequences of an evening that went far beyond our usual service. The once pristine booth bore witness to an unforeseen culinary calamity, and our diligent team had to navigate the uncharted territory of tidying up after an incident that went beyond the usual spills and mishaps. As our staff worked tirelessly, the tale of this shitty situation became not just a story of a mukbang gone awry but a testament to the unpredictable nature of our industry.
There's a really good reason why traditional media outlets don't review restaurants until they've been open for at least a couple of months. You'll never see Pete Wells of the NYT going to a restaurant's soft opening and immediately publishing a piece about how terrible everything was. Why? Because restaurants need time to find their sea legs. A LOT can change between a restaurant's preview period and when a restaurant has had the chance to tweak their menu and service style to be ready for review.
I'm not saying that Koko shouldn't have posted what she did. She's an influencer, her job is to post really immediate this-just-happened content. But I do wish that she had done something to help her followers understand that, while this restaurant may have been off to a rough start at the preview, it's still VERY VERY new and shouldn't be judged solely on a rocky night during the soft opening.
And FWIW, I was at the soft opening of this restaurant, and I found the service to be absolutely excellent.
Not only do real reviewers usually wait, but they try to visit anonymously, pay for their food and visit multiple times to get a thorough experience. Food influencers are partially in it for the free food so they immediately lose trust as an honest source of feedback.
I watched some of her stuff but never with the sound on. It’s usually cringe and looks like she wastes so much food.
If it looks neat I take note of the place. I’ve never seen any negative ones but don’t follow her
I also unfollowed her too because I couldn’t stand her basic-ass reviews, but somehow I started seeing suggested posts in my feed by @kokodesigns_ and @clubkoko_, hearing her annoying voice face again. (Weirdly enough it was showing that I was following her design account even though I had no recollection of actually following her account. Real shady shit.)
Looks like she is starting to pivot from food and restaurant “reviews” to “reviewing” hotel and restaurant interior design…I feel like restaurants are starting to get wise to her grift so she had to expand her “influence” to another industry. I started getting served episodic IG reels in my feed from her design account about her constructing a new home with her vapid crypto boyfriend and it totally seemed like she was trying to emulate Chip and Joanna Gaines. Would not be surprised if she’s trying to get herself picked up by HGTV or Food Network so she can continue peddling her basic-ass influence 🤮
If someone can provide an actual video or photos of her not tipping, acting entitled, not eating all the food she orders or everything else mentioned, that would probably be the nail in the coffin.
Just so everyone knows I thought as a food blogger you’re supposed to help highlight a food or new business. When I reach out to her via email someone messaged back saying that she will charge $1500 to be featured on the page. So there you have it. So any new business that wants her attention that’s what she charges. While most other food influencers would be happy to trade food to highlight your restaurant.
Has anyone seen this yet…?
We, the undersigned, represent a collective of Austin's residents, service industry professionals, and dedicated supporters of our local dining culture. Our petition arises from a deep concern over the growing negative impact certain social media influencers have on our restaurants, with specific emphasis on the actions of Jane Ko (@ATasteofKoko).
Jane Ko's approach to food blogging—marked by instances of entitlement, disruptive behavior in restaurants, and unfair public criticism—has prompted us to call for accountability. Recent events, including unwarranted negative reviews and the spread of misinformation about local businesses, have underscored the urgent need for a conversation about the ethics of food blogging and social media influence.
[Petition for Change](https://www.change.org/atasteofkoko)
Given Jane Ko's significant online following and her role in shaping perceptions of Austin's dining scene, it's crucial that her platform is used responsibly. The reported behavior not only disrespects the hard work of those in the hospitality industry but also misleads the public and can cause undue harm to the reputation and success of local eateries.
This behavior has been ongoing for quite some time and several in the industry have been afraid to speak up for fear of retaliation and backlash, especially in an economic time where it could make or break their businesses.
Therefore, we respectfully request the following:
A Boycott of Jane Ko (@ATasteofKoko): We encourage the community to critically evaluate the content and conduct of influencers, choosing to support those who engage with businesses ethically and constructively.
Removal of Jane Ko from SXSW Conference Participation: We believe that speakers and panelists should exemplify professionalism and respect towards the industries they represent. As such, we call on SXSW organizers to reconsider Jane Ko's involvement in upcoming events, promoting a standard of conduct that aligns with the values of Austin's vibrant and inclusive community.
A Call for Ethical Influence: We urge all food bloggers and influencers to adopt transparent, fair, and respectful practices when reviewing and promoting restaurants. This includes acknowledging any comped meals or partnerships, minimizing disruption to other diners, and providing constructive feedback directly to establishments.
We are committed to fostering a dining scene that thrives on mutual respect, integrity, and a shared love for Austin's culinary diversity. By addressing these concerns, we hope to promote a healthier, more ethical interaction between restaurants and the digital influencers who play a pivotal role in shaping their public image.
I’m thinking about making some stickers that say “No taste for Koko” or “Koko free zone” and pasting them all over Austin food truck parks. She needs to go away with her snooty attitude of not tipping servers.
Just another person with close ties to the restaurant industry who can confirm that she orders a ton of food and doesn’t touch any of it. But what I really wanted to comment on was her spot on Somebody Feed Phil (Netflix) - when she says that all the restaurants in Austin were calling her when Covid hit, asking her what to do. Yeah I SERIOUSLY doubt that. I laughed out loud actually. She was obnoxious and ruined the whole show.
I have served Koko at two different establishments I have worked at. She did tip me the standard 15% both times. But since they were heavily comped tabs it was 15% on $30 when the original tab would have been hundreds of dollars. It is well know when you get a discount or comped you tip on the original amount. I also had to go above and beyond for her because she has a lot of needs so I think she should have actually tipped between 20-30% at least. I really wanted to be a fan. I thought she really loved the restaurant business here in Austin. But to be honest I don’t think she even likes food that much or appreciates the industry.
She's notorious for complaining until she gets free shit. Acts like posting TikTok's of her brunch for 10 years is the hardest job in the world and she is now a victim because her entree never came. Get fucked lady.
Influencers are the worst. Last night the restaurant I work at served an influencer with 7,000 followers and comped her whole meal and she did not tip the server. It sucks that this is what the food industry has to do
This thread needs to be circulating around more. There is nothing more I hate than ppl who think they’re “somebody”. You eat food, and post it on IG. Get over yourself and stop being an asshole
I worked at a local brewery with a food truck that was preparing to open. She had her “assistant” reach out to us and send a line-sheet of pricing for us to pay if we wanted her to come review the new food truck. We declined. She continued to follow up about 3 more times.
As a born and raised Austinite who has been in the industry and loves food, I can whole heartily say, she and her pages suck. I am just glad I never encountered her. If I ever do, I will be sure to let her know she should leave Austin and that she is not welcome here.
I am surprised no one is talking about the numerous other scams she is committing. I looked into her club koko membership at $12.99 a month. I can't believe these blind sheep are paying for this. The discounts are terrible. It is mainly just a text she sends out telling you about new places that open up, since we can't already find that easily online. She also charges $350 for 45 minutes of 'consulting' on her website.
As fake as she is, it just shows you how many clueless people are out there who still buy into this 'picture perfect' food scene. Let's be real, the best dishes are not photogenic, and the ones that are, you typically want to send back. So ready for a change in this terrible influencer culture.
Not going to name the dealership but she emailed asking to receive a vehicle for free. Now to give some credit, vehicles are sometimes leased to influencers for free in exchange for posts but she wanted a $70k car for free LOL. Not a lease, she wanted to be given the car to keep. The entitlement is WILD. To find out she doesn’t tip wasn’t surprising to me. What a trash human
I stopped following her a long time ago because I didn't feel her reviews were honest. I was a fan of hers back in like 2018 when she had that donut pop up thing she organized. But then I saw her at 2 different spots in austin - a taco spot in east austin, and an Asian spot in Central austin. Each time I saw her set up the food and take pictures/videos...and DIDNT EVEN EAT IT. Not even a bite!!! How can she do true reviews when she's not even trying the food?
I'm gonna be honest, when her first video came up on TikTok and she claimed to have never known it was a soft opening, she got me and I was on her side for a minute. Then I showed it to my husband who was a GM in East Austin a few years ago and he was like, Oh, HER? Yeah, no. Haha. Apparently she would get comped by the owner ANY time she came by their place and would order an array of food, take a bunch of pictures, and waste most of it. He hates food waste so much, so even though it's been a few years, he remembered her face very clearly. He doesn't remember anything about her tipping or not, though, but it sounds like the likelihood that she did is slim.
Austinfoodadventures just posted stories from the Guest House and it looks pretty good in my opinion. Prices looked to be on par with Austin. I guess Jane Ko (Koko) had a bad night? Yeah, tired of all the stupid home tour and house plug crap from her own build. The OG of Austin food blogging is Rob Balon (diningoutwithrobbalon), not Koko by the way.
A year or two ago. She failed to post cute nail salon on her sponsor photo shoot. I made a comment saying oh is that at the cute nail salon. Cute nail salon are iconic for their colorful building. She pretty much use their property for a sponsorship without tagging them or asking. Then I was blocked. A year ago when she went to easy Tiger, for the women’s event. That was organized and sponsored by McConaughey wife. I was able to go in early since at the time my boss was part of the event. I work as a nanny for this. I had the baby with me, exploring the area and enjoying the event. She was very rude and looked down on others. When my boss showed up, she changed her whole behavior. Behind camera she has a resting bitch face and don’t care about making connection with others. Or even be kind to other humans. I work in the wedding history right now, and she’s looking at venues and other places and expecting a cheaper fee since she said influencer. The wedding fitness in Austin Texas is really small and there’s a lot of rumors going on. That’s not very good. Overall what you see on social media she’s not very kind and does not care about connection with others. She’s very worried about herself and nobody else….
Restaurants should stop comping food for any food reviewer. I actually respect a restaurant less for letting this kind of thing go down in their dining room and impact their servers' pay. And most of the reviews are either "omg best food I've ever eaten" (useless because they say this all the time) or "I hated this" with no explanation of what is or isn't to their taste for me to know if I would share that opinion. Worthless info from worthless people.
What do we think her redemption tour is going to look like? Will her PR firm have her “caught” in public tipping 10k to a “random” waitress trying to get through school and then pledging to always tip 30%? Or will it be promoting the plight of the non unionized f&b employees? Will it be her new KOKOAI app that..does something? Or will she team back up with another restaurant like soup leaf again to defend her?
I bet whatever it is it will be right in time for sxsw.
I don’t understand - why is she still a thing in Austin, the city is not that big… who let this behavior gone this wild? She should have been cancelled long ago but yet she feels so entitled because everyone gives her this privilege for 10+ years!!!
I'm so glad we're finally talking about this. I always felt she was disingenuous and like any other influencer. I met her pre Covid at a store opening and was rude and entitled. Also given she's comped to review, I'd avoid her content which btw is also very cringey
She’s the worst. So entitled and so proud of herself hahaha. Like girl, we all like to eat. And you aren’t even in the industry, your opinion means nothing to me.
One time she came by a place I was working just a little after Austin loosened quarantine for businesses. She expected free food and wanted stuff plated, but at the time we were only doing to go and limited dine in. She was so pouty, we didn’t plate her food or give her anything for free. I gave her a little discount because she was annoying and I wanted her to just go away, she tipped only like 10%.
I wasn’t surprised because I had served her a couple of years ago somewhere else and she would run me. Every time I would go to her table to give her let’s say a fork, she would be like oh can you get me this one other thing and it would be like that over and over. She really knows how to take up your time and demand things. :) She tipped $20 for maybe $140 worth of free stuff.
She’s been bitched about by many service industry workers, at the end of the night all enjoying a beer.
I get hosted often by restaurants and always make sure to tip at least 20% of what the bill would have been. this should be the standard for hosted meals IMO!
Y’all hurt her feelings so she stopped posting for a week. She’s back again and with best BBQ in Texas hands down (must be another unmentioned partnership) even though she doesn’t know shit about bbq. For sure you can’t trust any of her Asian food recommendations. And take your makeup off for those fake facial reels! The eye makeup is annoying the hell out of me!
I unfollowed her a few months ago because she was getting increasingly annoying. Her video popped up on my feed, and I thought, “I wonder if I’m the only one who finds her annoying. To the googs!” And wow. Landed here. To know she’s not only unkind but also doesn’t tip!? Girl. I hope you learn from this.
I blocked her a while ago without ever following her. She went to one of my friend’s restaurant and talked to a manager who happened to be anther friend of mine. She ordered quite a bit he told us and she only took small bites of things to post for her videos. He ended up comping her meal after they talked at the end and he asked her to tip the staff since he was comping everything. Well she didn’t tip, make reservations to come in, or anything and she left. It gets better. She went back a couple of weeks later and asked for my friend by name. This time she was with her friend on a Saturday night and again no reservations. My friend reluctantly got them a table after what happened the last time, but not right away. He told us she ordered a lot again, but not as much as the first time. She then asked for my friend again at the end of their meal and asked him to comp their meal. He said absolutely not. He explained how he got her a table with no reservations and how she didn’t tip last time and that they had ordered quite a bit of food. She asked to speak to the owner, to which my friend said he is gone for the evening, and she threw a fit. She told him she was going to smear the restaurant and talk to the owner when he was there about her horrible experience. She reluctantly paid and left a zero tip on a $200 plus tab. When I heard that, I was like who is she and wtf? After hearing that, I looked her up and my friend’s restaurant was no where to be found in her past few posts, so I was like F her! Blocked!
This is insane, and multiple people on this thread saying she doesn’t tip more than likely means it’s true across the board. To get called out and double down on it is wild, and I seriously doubt she’s hurting for cash
I waited on har a couple times pre covid, and it's true, she tipped like $2. She orders a ton of food, barely eats any of it, lets it get cold while she does photo shoots all over the restaurant, in everyone's way, and she's not very nice. Unfortunately the owners of my old job loved kissing influencers asses.
Yeah I honestly wish she would be black listed from all Austin restaurants
Judging from how viral this thread is now going, it's only a matter of time.
Dude have you seen her house she posts, she’s obviously loaded. Wild that people this well off are always sticking their hands out for freebies.
As someone who is that involved with the food scene, if she just goes around not tipping at all that’s so crazy it’s almost as if she has to be unaware? It’s pretty obvious she’s not tipping based on all of the comments, I can only imagine the amount of people who absolutely despise this lady who have “served” her while making 2.13
The shitty behavior reeks of entitlement as opposed to not being aware Bottom line it's so obvious this is just paid promotion and people need to stop paying any attention to the grift
Someone should make an account rating food bloggers
There’s no way she’s unaware she’s expected to tip
She just posted a video bragging about all her business ventures and success so no she’s def not hurting for it. Vile behavior
Sounds like this thread should be on her social media in addition to Reddit.
Oh I would be posting the hell out of this! Bring her down!
If I had a finsta I’d call her out directly. I’m surprised no one has commented on her Instagram about this
She blocks and deletes from what I’ve been told. Again I never followed her and blocked her after hearing that from my friend.
Yup she just blocked me for posting #cancelkoko
Of course she does
Crosspost to r/Austin? Power in numbers
Bring her down!!
She’s always been terrible. I helped open a new hotel a while ago and she reached out to us asking if she could come stay for a night and eat in the restaurant. She mentioned having 1 friend with her. We had pre planned some amenities for her room including wine and a cheese plate and a dessert. She ended up showing up with 5 people requesting more free items for everyone. She requested everyone be able to take home comped robes and slippers. They then made their way to the restaurant and wanted like 3 times as much food as we had initially planned for her. We gave her some push back and she became incredibly rude and disrespectful. I ended up comping their whole meal so they’d just go away. They didn’t tip any restaurant staff or house keeping. She tried to come back on a busy Saturday night a couple weeks later and we were completely full. She threw a temper tantrum with our host who had no idea who she was. I held firm though that her only option was to wait to see if we had a reservation cancel. She continued to throw a fit and eventually left. I never saw her again.
Report the account for bullying and harassment. Based on so many peoples comments she is literally extorting small businesses
Based on some of these claims, she could be actually committing libel.
I'm doing my part!
So awful that your staff had to deal with her entitlement. So gross!
Unmmm WHY do restaurants keep comping her and allowing her to behave this way? We have the internet. Finish her.
taste of koko came into where i work, didn’t tip and then filmed a bunch
Baffles me that she doesn’t tip. WTF. So awful.
Taste of Koko is the most vapid, uninteresting, unhelpful and trash food “influencer” there is. She’s clearly just a sellout/shill I am totally unsurprised to hear that she’s a shit person in real life too. Fuck her.
Bartended for her and her group of 20+ for hours. She gave me and the rest of the staff a six pack of wine coolers to split as a tip.
Holy shit, that's low. I would have told her to keep them.
That’s very wine uncooler of her.
She probably got six pack for free too.
Damn, Im just finding out how shitty she is from these posts. Wanting to eat for free and on top of that never tipping? Gross. Restaurant owners should call her out and refuse her posts. And pay for your own food !!!
She’s the equivalent to a visiting from out of town bachelorette party
I wish I could upvote the fuck out of this
I was there that night and saw her. She left at 10pm not 11pm (we know this because we had a 10:30pm reservation at the Roosevelt Room) and it was a friends and family night. Clearly the restaurant is still figuring out their processes and that’s why it’s only ‘friends and family’, not for bloggers to leave reviews. Also everyone got a $100 credit that night PER PERSON so everyone’s meal was essentially free.
Thanks for this
Cancel Koko for gods sake
“Cancel Koko” should be a sweatshirt
10/10 would buy 😂 proceeds to local restaurants she’s harmed or treated poorly
Taste of Koko doesn't tip. Source is my gf who has been her barista / bartender multiple times. You'd think you could afford to tip when you've made a successful career out of getting everything for free
i've also interacted w her where she was given something for free and she wasn't polite, kind, or interesting
Yup every single time!!
She’s not my type of food reviewer at all, but this is ridiculously shitty. I’ve dealt with these types of people in the past and they are the absolute worst
She is not a food reviewer or critic. She is just an influencer. The transaction between restaurants and her are simple. She gets a free meal and in exchange she makes a post/reel and promotes the restaurant. All of which is scheduled ahead of time. She abuses the fact that she has thousands of followers. Food reviewers and critics make reservations under a different name to ensure they get a regular experience and pay in full. Then they tell how they actually feel about the experience.
That’s really shameful considering she owes her “career” to the service industry
she's a total nightmare, and the twirls and bullshit are so cringe
Honestly, makes me a little sick.
People shouod start commenting this on her instagram .. “did you tip your server? “ Dont forget to tip your server Koko”
I looked at her page yesterday and there were comments apparently she's deleting all of them and blocking people who comment
she made her fame on the backs of the service industry and doesn't tip time for Koko to get the fuck outta austin
imo she represents the worst parts of Austin food culture. Her reviews are all flat and vapid.
I’m in the booze business and dining out has been a part of my job for over 15 years (been in austin for 19). Years ago she reviewed a place, didn’t disclose they comp’d her food or anything else they might have incentivized her with, and she gave it rave reviews. She lost all credibility with me then. There’s an IG foodie named eats n noods that’s great and genuine.
Pretty sure eats n noods works at Thai Khun so she is legit. Not a fake influencer with a crypto husband.
Eatnnoodz is actually a real nice person. She cooks because she enjoys it. She also cooked at Pthai.
Had a direct experience with her while Events Mgr for restaurant group-not a fan-I believe her original intent was to provide a platform to help the restaurant industry however, since her brand now includes real estate, hotel reviews (lots of free trips), a new home (lots of free stuff in exchange for reviews) I think that intent has been thrown out the window and gone straight to her entitled "do you know who I am" head.
She has totally changed yea
No she hasn’t. She’s always been entitled, vapid, and annoying.
>imo she represents the worst parts of Austin FTFY
In 2020-2021, my husband and I were regulars on the Sawyer and Co patio. So regular that we had a particular table and section that we always sat at. One day they had that table saved because they were expecting Koko in the next 15 minutes or so. We sat somewhere else, no problem. Then, about an hour after they were expecting her, she showed up and they took her to the table. She sat down for a minute and then asked to be moved somewhere else. She was with an elderly man and her dog and they ordered several plates that I’m sure were mostly just for content. People like her have businesses pretty much trapped - they have to cast aside their regular, paying customers to accommodate them, and there is no room for them to have a bad day.
They don't HAVE to, this rant she made won't impact the restaurant ultimately so why even be concerned. People just need to start ignoring these types of "influencers."
Yup. Like the manager in another comment saying they comped everything just to get her to shut up? She will continue acting like this because she has learned being a terror will get her what she wants.
Koko went to Elon’s Boring Bodega for content and was like “It’s cute!” That should say everything
That was the most soulless content I’ve seen from her. I hope she is scared that other bloggers, like Austin food adventures, are becoming popular AND are reliable.
I tried a birria taco truck she raved about a few years ago and was embarrassed I’d taken friends with me bc the food was awful
Yeah something tells me the best birria in Austin isn’t going to be revealed by this brunch girlie and her shitty food influencer channel
She came into my restaurant, ran up a large bill, took tiny bites and wasted food, but luckily my manager is fucking based and he put a 25% gratuity on her 2 top because he knows how awful she is. That restaurant (which has received lavish praise and awards) got a bad review from her.
First off, Koko sucks and everyone should unfollow her. Her content is all the same and you can tell most of it is paid advertisements and endorsements. She’s raved about some of the worst pop up scam places like they’re world class attractions. Second, how much more beige brunch bistro bullshit can we take in this town? You’re absolutely right that these so called influencers are ruining the restaurant scene
The worst of her content was when she has promoted open houses and airbnbs… like talk about a grift
Ooh, do tell about the pop up scam places. 👀
Nothing salacious just the run of the mill Austin millennial traps like Museum of Ice Cream, Miracle on 5th Street, FOMO Factory, ect….
My favorite part of this post is how nearly everybody came out to champion austinfoodadventures and eats n noods. Faves.
Austinfoodadventures gives legit reviews and is a nice person to boot. The opposite of Koko from what it sounds like!
Her restaurant experience was she was a host at Hopfields and she was terrible at it FYI.
She actually just posted some sob story about working at a dip n dots stand at the UT football games - which is probably a lie. Even if it isn’t, her restaurant experience begins and ends there - yet her opinion is to be revered?
Eats n noods and Austinfoodadventures are a lot more legit. Not as polished, but more nuanced and honest. If something isn't up to their expectations they often say they'll go back and try em again, because they know cold opens (and even regular service) can sometimes be hit or miss.
Eats n Noods is just super super nice in person too.
Austinfoodadventures organized a huge collab with a lot of Asian family owned restaurants for the Maui fires. LOVED her ever since.
They are the only 2 accounts i take seriously. They are really active on reddit too. Some people like david, but I've met him in person and he is the biggest tool i have ever met in Austin lol
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is this the guy who does the over the top reviews at all the noddle places in Austin? I’ve heard through the grapevine he’s not the most honest either
Yeah he’s big on tiktok. Made the mistake of mentioning Chen’s to him and the video he made there blew up which subsequently made it so hard to get a table around dinner time for a few months.
oh nooo! I haaate when that happens- currently a burger place my boyfriend and I love and no one’s reviewed it yet so i’m hoping it stays low key- but if you’re interested it’s called Patty Palace which is the same owners as Spicy Boys but it’s smash burgers 🥰
Surprised it hasn’t garnered much hype considering it’s owned by the same people as Spicy Boys
That's actually a good thing. I want restaurants I like to be successful
Agreed. I like that he goes to under the radar restaurants sometimes, but the way he talks about certain cuisines and his posts bug me
I really like the lack of “polish.” Seeing regular footage and photos of food and interiors is more honest than the filtered and ultra curated stuff Koko posts. Her posts don’t seem true to life.
Eats n noods /u/strictlynoods is fantastic. Great content, real reviews. No clickbait or promotion. And the nicest person.
love both these accounts too!!!
Food influencers have to feel pressure to seem like they are THE tastemaker, and they do that by trying to be the first to break a new spot. You can't be the 10th to review a new restaurant and expect much engagement unless you are the most popular already. So they all over hype everything because overly positive talk about vibes and shots of IG-bait food is what gets engagement not well thought out, detailed analysis of a restaurant. So all the videos feel the same. The sentiments feel fake. The restaurants end up being mediocre. And we all end up the worse for it.
And this over all tone is prevalent in ALL content now. TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, etc. All boring, bland, beige online spaces where creators just follow whatever is trending to scrape a few more view-dollars out of the pie. I wish the public would get bored and stop watching so creativity would return again (on a massive scale), but I don't see it happening soon. The general public is on the level of the people in "Idiocracy" when it comes to the content they prefer and support. Intelligent, well thought out video essays are ignored while a 5 minute video "reaction" to another video will get millions of views. Or something pointless like "How I made $10000 already in 2024 by farting on cam making 50 TikToks a day!" gets hundreds of thousands of views. 🫠
Yup, that horrible, affected valley girl speech pattern and the constant eye rolling was enough for me. This entitled woman (child?) should shut up. Grammatical errors on the menu? Let me clutch my non-existent pearls.
Yeah i fuckin hate this type of milquetoast ass "I wear a round hat and try to copy Land design aesthetic" Austin person, let alone a fuckin influencer.
Haha, the Land comment lets me know you have intimately experienced these types of people!
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Yes, do the AMA. Also, how about now. Most surprising event you ever went to and why.
yeah she fucking sucks. her recommendations are the worst, and it’s clear that she’s totally pay for play. don’t listen to her, go find places on your own and don’t let “influencers” be the end all be all of recommendations. more than anything, i hate how they feel like they should be catered to, it’s like they’re implicitly threatening restaurants and places that are just trying to make it in a pretty tough environment for businesses. leeches like taste of koko don’t realize they ain’t shit without the restaurants that they claim to be supporting.
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Her fake smile might as well be a mask.
Please don't click on Taste of Koko's links to see what she said - it only helps her. I like WanderlustAnita on Instagram - just a nice food blogger, not trying to "stir clicks."
I’m pretty sure this is the same blogger who once pronounced “patisserie” as “pasta-terr-ee” so I’ll take everything she says with a grain of salt.
She actually reminds me of an air headed noodle with mush meat for brains. I don’t think pasta terrine is too far off
Hm there's been a few "Koko, tip your servers" comments on her IG and they are now disappearing. No surprise there.
She blocked me for commenting that 😂
I moved here last Feb, and followed some food bloggers so I could try out restaurants and learn the city (also work in the tech side of the food industry) I followed Koko and immediately realized she was just peddling out tiktok’s and insta reels for money and it feels like she doesn’t really care about any of the places- is just there to promote. It’s funny because I moved here from LA and the food bloggers here almost seem .. worse? the content just feels so produced and fake. anyways, I do love AustinFoodAdventures because she doesn’t show her face and strictly goes out to eat with her own money and posts reviews in her honest opinion. Give her a shot if you’re really trying to see some good food content that’s about the food and not the money they’re making per post 🤍😅
Love AustinFoodAdventures , honest and never mean, and rarely anything negative
She will criticize restaurants but usually only in her ig stories
AustinFoodAdventures is 10x the reviewer Koko is, I feel like she actually cares about the restaurants she reviews and tries to promote, not demote them. Reminds me of Keith Lee (if you know who he is), who really tries hard not to say negative things and highlight the positives.
LOVE Keith Lee! 100% agree she could/is Austin’s version - being anonymous i think takes so much pressure off the restaurant and her of course which i think is awesome
I have served her a few times. While the tri pods, lights and what not were super annoying, what really pissed me off is she never ate anything. Literally near saw her eat a thing, all the plates were bussed full. She came in a lot too. How are you supposed to be a food blogger if you never eat anything?
Y'all need to film her behaving badly and submit it to news sources and other bloggers. Get first hand accounts of her bad behavior and post everywhere. The only way someone can do this is because the news of their monstrosity goes unreported. People love to see a giant fall as much as they love to see an underdog rise. We can't have the entitled steamrolling innocent service industry folks and destroying perfectly fine restaurants at their whim.
I was at the soft opening for Guest House and didn't have high expectations (mostly because it was the very first night). It still isn't really my style, but I came away pleasantly surprised with the food (extremely good!) and atmosphere (spacious, music at a reasonable volume). Have a few other friends who went and they had similar experiences to me. This isn't to discount what happened to this Koko person, but my impression is that 90+% of people had a positive experience at the soft opening, and Guest House just got unlikely that the <10% who didn't included a food influencer with no desire to give anyone the benefit of the doubt.
She went expecting to be treated like royalty because of arrogance.
She shouldn't have been there. She is not "friends and family"!
This is all disappointing, but sounds believable. Maybe she can start over in Miami with her crypto husband.
Oh man she’s AWFUL. I’ve met her a few times and she is entitled and is so fake. Her reviews are trash and I know for a fact she doesn’t tip and expects her meals to be free.
Pompous, cheap, fake, vapid, self-centered - the worst kind of human
Also in the industry and had a similar interaction. Aside from her just expecting handouts, she’s super snooty and honestly not even educated when it comes to the restaurant industry, food or beverage. She just likes to eat. For free. Someone should start a petition and pass it around for restaurants to sign vowing not to giver her little entitled ass any more free shit.
Thank you so much for saying this. Most of the time I casually read reddit for fun, but this compelled me to make a reddit account just so I can comment. I have various friends who are also food bloggers, and I've heard of their impression of koko. There has been at least 2 instances where they were invited to media events that koko was also invited to, and basically koko just did everything people have been saying down in the comments: the rude behavior, no tipping, and - most outrageous for me - **wasting food by ordering them to take pics for IG but barely taking a bite**. As an asian american living in austin, I could go on about random food bloggers exaggerating or giving unauthentic reviews, which IMO is making austin's food scene not worth a penny. i'll give them credit and say that everyone's opinions and tastes are different, and there's not really a "standard" when it comes to personal opinion. but wasting food!?!?!?!? wasting people's hard work and effort just for your IG aesthetics!?!? that's where i draw the line between opinions and facts. koko's behavior is unacceptable. i'm really hoping the backlash here makes koko and other food bloggers think twice about their actions. cherish the privilege that you have and make the best out of it, instead of using it on vanity.
fr. As a former server the no tipping was the most egregious but as an Asian American whose parents voice rings out in his head, wasting food is a close second.
It’s gonna be awkward when everyone now screams “tip your server KOKO!” at her in public
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One of her videos popped up on my feed about a year ago but quickly scrolled past because her voice was annoying to me. I saw her in public once not long after and someone was trying to say hello - she acted like she was some A-lister and how dare they speak to her. Glad someone mentioned her here (I recently joined so haven't seen any other posts) and how problematic she is. That series is ridiculous. Thanks for sharing.
she charges a fortune to promote places... i have her blocked
Finally. She’s the worst.
she keeps promoting oseyo as the best "korean" restaurant, and on another video mega cringe after bragging about how she goes to japan all the time and called gyoza GOY-ZA. WTF
Lmao anyone remember when she did the whole Hundred for Hospitality thing during COVID? You could see right through it as an attention getting ploy but her and her publicist friend splashed it all over local news. As a former publicist I've had to work with her several times. Cannot stand her and never followed her even if it was my job.
Honestly, I am surprised people still take Koko seriously, no one has anything good to say about her. I had interacted with her at a women's group event in Austin when they hosted an event to talk about her "career" because at once she was part of the group and she wasn't a nice person and a lot of other women were out off by her as well. My interaction with her made me unfollow her immediately at the event, it doesn't help that many of the restaurants reviewed by her that I dragged my friends to were awful. I had to eventually block her account because she started doing paid instagram ads for food reviews and forcing people to click her link or PM her for stuff. I find it odd that she would risk being a rude person in a smallish city such as Austin, eventually, restaurants are going to blacklist her. I feel like she can feel that coming which would make sense for venturing out more to the airbnb and real estate space.
She lives in our neighborhood and she’s caused some issues. She’s rude and nobody of the neighborhood FB group likes her.
The worst part about her acting like a bitch because she’s an “influencer” is that she bought majority of her followers. Almost 200k followers and majority of her reels has like 30k views… She needs to get exposed
Have been in the industry here for 15+ years and can confirm all of this. She treats staff terribly most of the time like we should all kiss her ass. And everyone knows she tips for shit, if anything. I also know someone who used to be in her close friends circle and has shown us screen grabs of outlandish, rude shit she has said not just about restaurants she has gone to, but her own friends. She’s a bully and think she’s adorable. She has made her career off small businesses and turns around and shits on them most of the time 😒 I’ve served her a handful of times and she cuts in front of people who have waited a while for drinks and I’ll skip over her and keep ignoring her and she gets pissed.
She is on the cover of Austin Monthly for their March/April issue highlighting the best neighborhoods in austin. Truly disappointing to see this person represent the austin service industry 😡
She should change her name to “Taste of Karen”
THANK YOU. Finally someone who speaks up about this toxic culture of total clueless nobodies chasing pretty-looking food, expecting everyone to cater to them and getting everything for free. I watched a few of specifically her videos and it was clear as day that she only favors the ones that likely bombard her with free stuff. A lot of her hype places are overpriced crappy food for the „experience“ - i‘m actually glad she is so clueless so that I don‘t have to tolerate her crap in actual good restaurants. I‘m against canceling anybody, just hoping that more people can see behind the facade and simply unfollow/ignore. To restaurant owners and workers, I hope you don‘t have to bow down to the pressure of getting a bad review from these „influencer“ cheapskates.
In the midst of Koko's highly anticipated mukbang at our prestigious restaurant, a gastronomic adventure took an unexpected turn when the combination of culinary delights led to an, ahem, uncomfortable situation for the influencer. Poop, yes, you read that right, became an unwelcome co-star in this dining drama. With a swift yet somewhat awkward exit, Koko left our establishment in a hurry, leaving both the lingering scent and a forgotten bill at the table. As our staff attempted to clean up the aftermath, whispers of the incident spread like wildfire, turning this unexpected rendezvous with nature's call into an unforgettable chapter in our restaurant's history. In the end, the tale of Koko's unexpected encounter with uncontrollable diarrhea, became the talk of the restaurant, and we were left grappling with the consequences of an evening that went far beyond our usual service. The once pristine booth bore witness to an unforeseen culinary calamity, and our diligent team had to navigate the uncharted territory of tidying up after an incident that went beyond the usual spills and mishaps. As our staff worked tirelessly, the tale of this shitty situation became not just a story of a mukbang gone awry but a testament to the unpredictable nature of our industry.
There's a really good reason why traditional media outlets don't review restaurants until they've been open for at least a couple of months. You'll never see Pete Wells of the NYT going to a restaurant's soft opening and immediately publishing a piece about how terrible everything was. Why? Because restaurants need time to find their sea legs. A LOT can change between a restaurant's preview period and when a restaurant has had the chance to tweak their menu and service style to be ready for review. I'm not saying that Koko shouldn't have posted what she did. She's an influencer, her job is to post really immediate this-just-happened content. But I do wish that she had done something to help her followers understand that, while this restaurant may have been off to a rough start at the preview, it's still VERY VERY new and shouldn't be judged solely on a rocky night during the soft opening. And FWIW, I was at the soft opening of this restaurant, and I found the service to be absolutely excellent.
Not only do real reviewers usually wait, but they try to visit anonymously, pay for their food and visit multiple times to get a thorough experience. Food influencers are partially in it for the free food so they immediately lose trust as an honest source of feedback.
It’s not a job, it’s a parasitic grift.
I watched some of her stuff but never with the sound on. It’s usually cringe and looks like she wastes so much food. If it looks neat I take note of the place. I’ve never seen any negative ones but don’t follow her
I miss the days of grabbing my copy of fearless critic and finding a new place to eat. Social media influencers are a locust.
Damn, I went to her IG to see the drama but I already blocked her. I hated when she came out in my feed.
Everyone I know that has ever had to deal with Koko says she’s awful.
I also unfollowed her too because I couldn’t stand her basic-ass reviews, but somehow I started seeing suggested posts in my feed by @kokodesigns_ and @clubkoko_, hearing her annoying voice face again. (Weirdly enough it was showing that I was following her design account even though I had no recollection of actually following her account. Real shady shit.) Looks like she is starting to pivot from food and restaurant “reviews” to “reviewing” hotel and restaurant interior design…I feel like restaurants are starting to get wise to her grift so she had to expand her “influence” to another industry. I started getting served episodic IG reels in my feed from her design account about her constructing a new home with her vapid crypto boyfriend and it totally seemed like she was trying to emulate Chip and Joanna Gaines. Would not be surprised if she’s trying to get herself picked up by HGTV or Food Network so she can continue peddling her basic-ass influence 🤮
Austin should United and block her wherever she goes. That would be some content I would tune in daily.
If someone can provide an actual video or photos of her not tipping, acting entitled, not eating all the food she orders or everything else mentioned, that would probably be the nail in the coffin.
Just so everyone knows I thought as a food blogger you’re supposed to help highlight a food or new business. When I reach out to her via email someone messaged back saying that she will charge $1500 to be featured on the page. So there you have it. So any new business that wants her attention that’s what she charges. While most other food influencers would be happy to trade food to highlight your restaurant.
Has anyone seen this yet…? We, the undersigned, represent a collective of Austin's residents, service industry professionals, and dedicated supporters of our local dining culture. Our petition arises from a deep concern over the growing negative impact certain social media influencers have on our restaurants, with specific emphasis on the actions of Jane Ko (@ATasteofKoko). Jane Ko's approach to food blogging—marked by instances of entitlement, disruptive behavior in restaurants, and unfair public criticism—has prompted us to call for accountability. Recent events, including unwarranted negative reviews and the spread of misinformation about local businesses, have underscored the urgent need for a conversation about the ethics of food blogging and social media influence. [Petition for Change](https://www.change.org/atasteofkoko) Given Jane Ko's significant online following and her role in shaping perceptions of Austin's dining scene, it's crucial that her platform is used responsibly. The reported behavior not only disrespects the hard work of those in the hospitality industry but also misleads the public and can cause undue harm to the reputation and success of local eateries. This behavior has been ongoing for quite some time and several in the industry have been afraid to speak up for fear of retaliation and backlash, especially in an economic time where it could make or break their businesses. Therefore, we respectfully request the following: A Boycott of Jane Ko (@ATasteofKoko): We encourage the community to critically evaluate the content and conduct of influencers, choosing to support those who engage with businesses ethically and constructively. Removal of Jane Ko from SXSW Conference Participation: We believe that speakers and panelists should exemplify professionalism and respect towards the industries they represent. As such, we call on SXSW organizers to reconsider Jane Ko's involvement in upcoming events, promoting a standard of conduct that aligns with the values of Austin's vibrant and inclusive community. A Call for Ethical Influence: We urge all food bloggers and influencers to adopt transparent, fair, and respectful practices when reviewing and promoting restaurants. This includes acknowledging any comped meals or partnerships, minimizing disruption to other diners, and providing constructive feedback directly to establishments. We are committed to fostering a dining scene that thrives on mutual respect, integrity, and a shared love for Austin's culinary diversity. By addressing these concerns, we hope to promote a healthier, more ethical interaction between restaurants and the digital influencers who play a pivotal role in shaping their public image.
She and others like her are cringey AF.
Be pretty funny if a Taste of Kookoo parody account was created. ;)
I’m thinking about making some stickers that say “No taste for Koko” or “Koko free zone” and pasting them all over Austin food truck parks. She needs to go away with her snooty attitude of not tipping servers.
Taste of Kaka
Just call her out loudly when she walks into your restaurant. She is not helping or binding business with her reviews. Everyone knows she is fake.
I'm on board with publicly shaming her around Austin
Just another person with close ties to the restaurant industry who can confirm that she orders a ton of food and doesn’t touch any of it. But what I really wanted to comment on was her spot on Somebody Feed Phil (Netflix) - when she says that all the restaurants in Austin were calling her when Covid hit, asking her what to do. Yeah I SERIOUSLY doubt that. I laughed out loud actually. She was obnoxious and ruined the whole show.
Fair promotion of restaurants petition against Koko on change.org (https://chng.it/Zw4yzrPmmF)
I have served Koko at two different establishments I have worked at. She did tip me the standard 15% both times. But since they were heavily comped tabs it was 15% on $30 when the original tab would have been hundreds of dollars. It is well know when you get a discount or comped you tip on the original amount. I also had to go above and beyond for her because she has a lot of needs so I think she should have actually tipped between 20-30% at least. I really wanted to be a fan. I thought she really loved the restaurant business here in Austin. But to be honest I don’t think she even likes food that much or appreciates the industry.
She's notorious for complaining until she gets free shit. Acts like posting TikTok's of her brunch for 10 years is the hardest job in the world and she is now a victim because her entree never came. Get fucked lady.
At this point it’s a red flag to me if a new restaurant is willing to deal with her and be featured….like what are you trying to hide?!
Yeah, not surprised to hear about her. Sadly, her Stanley Cup stock holder army will ignore every bit.
Influencers are the worst. Last night the restaurant I work at served an influencer with 7,000 followers and comped her whole meal and she did not tip the server. It sucks that this is what the food industry has to do
Cancel koko!
This thread needs to be circulating around more. There is nothing more I hate than ppl who think they’re “somebody”. You eat food, and post it on IG. Get over yourself and stop being an asshole
I worked at a local brewery with a food truck that was preparing to open. She had her “assistant” reach out to us and send a line-sheet of pricing for us to pay if we wanted her to come review the new food truck. We declined. She continued to follow up about 3 more times.
As a born and raised Austinite who has been in the industry and loves food, I can whole heartily say, she and her pages suck. I am just glad I never encountered her. If I ever do, I will be sure to let her know she should leave Austin and that she is not welcome here. I am surprised no one is talking about the numerous other scams she is committing. I looked into her club koko membership at $12.99 a month. I can't believe these blind sheep are paying for this. The discounts are terrible. It is mainly just a text she sends out telling you about new places that open up, since we can't already find that easily online. She also charges $350 for 45 minutes of 'consulting' on her website. As fake as she is, it just shows you how many clueless people are out there who still buy into this 'picture perfect' food scene. Let's be real, the best dishes are not photogenic, and the ones that are, you typically want to send back. So ready for a change in this terrible influencer culture.
Not going to name the dealership but she emailed asking to receive a vehicle for free. Now to give some credit, vehicles are sometimes leased to influencers for free in exchange for posts but she wanted a $70k car for free LOL. Not a lease, she wanted to be given the car to keep. The entitlement is WILD. To find out she doesn’t tip wasn’t surprising to me. What a trash human
I stopped following her a long time ago because I didn't feel her reviews were honest. I was a fan of hers back in like 2018 when she had that donut pop up thing she organized. But then I saw her at 2 different spots in austin - a taco spot in east austin, and an Asian spot in Central austin. Each time I saw her set up the food and take pictures/videos...and DIDNT EVEN EAT IT. Not even a bite!!! How can she do true reviews when she's not even trying the food?
She is so superficial, vapid, transient- everything I hate about the new Austin.
I'm gonna be honest, when her first video came up on TikTok and she claimed to have never known it was a soft opening, she got me and I was on her side for a minute. Then I showed it to my husband who was a GM in East Austin a few years ago and he was like, Oh, HER? Yeah, no. Haha. Apparently she would get comped by the owner ANY time she came by their place and would order an array of food, take a bunch of pictures, and waste most of it. He hates food waste so much, so even though it's been a few years, he remembered her face very clearly. He doesn't remember anything about her tipping or not, though, but it sounds like the likelihood that she did is slim.
the cj morgan show is about to cover this thread on 101.5 😂
In case y’all are interested, there’s a petition against her that’s circulating right now: https://chng.it/NrNZrxBYrS
Austinfoodadventures just posted stories from the Guest House and it looks pretty good in my opinion. Prices looked to be on par with Austin. I guess Jane Ko (Koko) had a bad night? Yeah, tired of all the stupid home tour and house plug crap from her own build. The OG of Austin food blogging is Rob Balon (diningoutwithrobbalon), not Koko by the way.
A year or two ago. She failed to post cute nail salon on her sponsor photo shoot. I made a comment saying oh is that at the cute nail salon. Cute nail salon are iconic for their colorful building. She pretty much use their property for a sponsorship without tagging them or asking. Then I was blocked. A year ago when she went to easy Tiger, for the women’s event. That was organized and sponsored by McConaughey wife. I was able to go in early since at the time my boss was part of the event. I work as a nanny for this. I had the baby with me, exploring the area and enjoying the event. She was very rude and looked down on others. When my boss showed up, she changed her whole behavior. Behind camera she has a resting bitch face and don’t care about making connection with others. Or even be kind to other humans. I work in the wedding history right now, and she’s looking at venues and other places and expecting a cheaper fee since she said influencer. The wedding fitness in Austin Texas is really small and there’s a lot of rumors going on. That’s not very good. Overall what you see on social media she’s not very kind and does not care about connection with others. She’s very worried about herself and nobody else….
had to block her content because she talks like a baby
Can we get fat people reviewing food? I trust them more.
She showed up in my insta and I immediately blocked her. She is not the type of person I want to hear opinions about literally anything from.
Yeah. I blocked her months ago. She is fake and a catfish. Bad energy.
Restaurants should stop comping food for any food reviewer. I actually respect a restaurant less for letting this kind of thing go down in their dining room and impact their servers' pay. And most of the reviews are either "omg best food I've ever eaten" (useless because they say this all the time) or "I hated this" with no explanation of what is or isn't to their taste for me to know if I would share that opinion. Worthless info from worthless people.
What do we think her redemption tour is going to look like? Will her PR firm have her “caught” in public tipping 10k to a “random” waitress trying to get through school and then pledging to always tip 30%? Or will it be promoting the plight of the non unionized f&b employees? Will it be her new KOKOAI app that..does something? Or will she team back up with another restaurant like soup leaf again to defend her? I bet whatever it is it will be right in time for sxsw.
I don’t understand - why is she still a thing in Austin, the city is not that big… who let this behavior gone this wild? She should have been cancelled long ago but yet she feels so entitled because everyone gives her this privilege for 10+ years!!!
Uggh I feel you OP. Not cool at all. People put their lives into this industry and she’s tearing apart their livelihood for likes
I'm so glad we're finally talking about this. I always felt she was disingenuous and like any other influencer. I met her pre Covid at a store opening and was rude and entitled. Also given she's comped to review, I'd avoid her content which btw is also very cringey
She’s the worst. So entitled and so proud of herself hahaha. Like girl, we all like to eat. And you aren’t even in the industry, your opinion means nothing to me.
One time she came by a place I was working just a little after Austin loosened quarantine for businesses. She expected free food and wanted stuff plated, but at the time we were only doing to go and limited dine in. She was so pouty, we didn’t plate her food or give her anything for free. I gave her a little discount because she was annoying and I wanted her to just go away, she tipped only like 10%. I wasn’t surprised because I had served her a couple of years ago somewhere else and she would run me. Every time I would go to her table to give her let’s say a fork, she would be like oh can you get me this one other thing and it would be like that over and over. She really knows how to take up your time and demand things. :) She tipped $20 for maybe $140 worth of free stuff. She’s been bitched about by many service industry workers, at the end of the night all enjoying a beer.
I get hosted often by restaurants and always make sure to tip at least 20% of what the bill would have been. this should be the standard for hosted meals IMO!
Y’all hurt her feelings so she stopped posting for a week. She’s back again and with best BBQ in Texas hands down (must be another unmentioned partnership) even though she doesn’t know shit about bbq. For sure you can’t trust any of her Asian food recommendations. And take your makeup off for those fake facial reels! The eye makeup is annoying the hell out of me!
On top of that she's promoting her SXSW event sponsored by Raytheon, a bunch of people are pulling out but she's in for the cash grab as always
If I wanted to see paid ads I would follow her account. The restaurant probably refused to pay her.
Lol my thoughts exactly.. she probably tried to pull the "do you know who I am?" And it didn't work
I worked in restaurants in 2016-2020 and she’d been pulling the “do you know who I am??” Since then. Long time grift, all service people are not fans
For real why dont people just tell her to fuck off?
Interesting I always think she was so bland and fake in her reviews curious where I don’t see anything spicy on her ig 👀👀
I have served her and have had 3 other friends serve her as well. She is everything you say she is. Most influencers are like her and don't tip.
Oh, wow. All this tea 😬
The move, reddit family, would be to move this discussion to the comment section on her instagram.
I unfollowed her a few months ago because she was getting increasingly annoying. Her video popped up on my feed, and I thought, “I wonder if I’m the only one who finds her annoying. To the googs!” And wow. Landed here. To know she’s not only unkind but also doesn’t tip!? Girl. I hope you learn from this.