Brooklyn’s Hemalee Patel has ordered a psychiatric assessment of 34‑year‑old Pei Chung following her attorney’s claim that Chung can’t understand the charges hanging over her. The request, made at a hearing where Chung’s lawyer, Henry Dechalus, highlighted her difficulty communicating with counsel, led to Mr. Patel scheduling a trial for December 17 while Chung remains detained on Rikers Island.
During the courtroom discussion, Dechalus stated, “At this time, I will be asking for a 730 exam.” He added, “I spoke to my client. She doesn’t understand the proceedings. She has some difficulty communicating with counsel. She doesn’t necessarily understand the charges alleged against her.”
This latest development joins a string of incidents in which Chung allegedly skipped her restaurant bills. Over the past month, police were called at least ten times to restaurants such as Francie, Lavender Lake, Motorino and Peter Luger. In each case, staff say Chung posed as a glamorous food‑influencer, flaunted designer gear—including a Louis Vuitton and Hermès ensemble worth more than $10,000—yet the bills were never paid.
At Francie, for example, Chung enjoyed a pricey spread that included $15 foie gras, $32 carpaccio, $28 bucatini, $52 lamb and a $19 hot‑chocolate mousse. While she showed off her “99 lb No plastic surgery” status on Instagram, the restaurant’s owners claim she was actually a “greasy cheapskate” who tried to pay with expired credit cards, offered free social‑media posts for meals and, according to a Peter Luger employee, even proposed sex in exchange for food.
Chung’s antics continued as she allegedly buttered up police officers, posting on Instagram, “Police officers threw out my takeout cuisine again which I organized them in the bar like a pro,” after an alleged $123 order at Sea Thai in Brooklyn that she refused to settle.
On the weekend, a judge set a $4,500 cash bail and questioned whether Chung, a Taiwanese national, had overstayed her student visa. Meanwhile, the Rikers Island menu, which offers “Turkey‑roni” in place of the Peter Luger steak she once raved about, serves as a quiet reminder that the “essence of oak and iron from the grill” is no longer part of her dining experience.
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