In a playful jab at the restaurant industry’s penchant for frozen food masquerading as fresh, YouTuber Stanley Chen has pulled off a hilarious prank that has captivated audiences worldwide. Chen, drawing from his past experience working at a restaurant that misleadingly claimed to serve fresh food, orchestrated a clever stunt that featured a faux fine dining experience with a twist—serving instant ramen as gourmet cuisine.
Chen, who previously worked at a restaurant that falsely advertised its offerings, set up a fake high-end ramen restaurant named “Nise Ramen,” translating to “Fake Ramen” from Japanese. The prank involved creating a fully-fledged, albeit fictitious, dining establishment complete with a fabricated website, promotional photos, and a viral TikTok campaign. “Seven days ago I created a fake five-star ramen restaurant and called it Nise Ramen,” Chen explained in his Instagram video. “We took some photos, set up a completely fake website, and made a TikTok about Nise which went viral.”
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To add to the illusion, Chen’s team limited entry to influencers with over 100,000 followers, creating a buzz and making the experience feel even more exclusive. The setup included a projector displaying serene nature scenes, ambient nature sounds, and an elaborate naming of the experience as “Ramen Forest.” The grand reveal: guests were served instant ramen, a stark contrast to the gourmet dining atmosphere.
The Instagram video showcasing the prank has amassed over 2 million views. Chen’s commentary on the situation captured the essence of his social experiment. “100 strangers who have spent over three hours lining up just to try some instant ramen. But why?” he asked. His stunt highlighted how marketing and presentation can significantly influence perceptions of value and quality.
Reactions to the video have been varied and revealing. One viewer commented, “Bro could’ve made millions but decided to expose himself,” while another noted, “Proof that marketing is never about the product, but how it makes you feel, that makes the money.” A third comment read, “This is peak entertainment,” and another drew a parallel to similar pranks, saying, “This kinda reminds me of fake luxury store tests in LA where shoes are like $30 but sold for $400.”
Critics have also chimed in, with one individual remarking, “This shows how brainwashed these young ones are. Believe everything they see on social media. This world is so doomed.” Another remarked, “A proof that ‘fake it till you make it’ works.”
As the prank unfolded, Chen and his friends interviewed the guests about their experience. To their surprise, many customers expressed satisfaction with the ramen, describing it as “home-cooked” and estimating its worth at $45-$50 (approximately Rs 3000-4000).
