Chef Throws Chili Powder in Displeased Restaurant Customer's Eyes

A man dining at a restaurant in South Wales Saturday night had to be taken to the hospital after the head chef threw a bowl of chili powder in his eyes.

Following a verbal altercation that reportedly ensued between David and Michelle Evans and Prince of Bengal chef Kamrul Islam after the couple complained about their food, David followed the chef to the kitchen to ask for an apology. It was then that he threw the hot spice in David’s face, according to The Telegraph.

Michelle told The Telegraph that the chef became aggressive after she and David told their waiter that their meat was “tough and rubbery.”

“To cut a long story short the chef came to our table he was extremely rude and aggressive and accused us of not wanting to pay for our food,” she said. “He started swearing at me so David said, ‘there’s no need to swear at my wife.’ The chef caused quite a scene and was shouting and swearing so David walked back to the kitchen door with him asking for an apology. The chef came to the door with a large bowl of chili powder which he threw at David’s face.”

Michelle went on to explain that David had to be hospitalized to undergo several eye washes. “He instantly thought he had been blinded and didn’t know what he’d thrown at him, he was shaking in shock, hanging on to the counter being sick thinking he was going to go blind.”

Islam said that he had acted out of self-defense. “I ran into the kitchen to get away from him but he followed me,” he said. “I was frightened and threw it at him. Chili will burn but it is not life-threatening.”

South Wales Police says it is investigating the incident.

Read more at Telegraph.co.uk.

Write to Megan McCluskey at megan.mccluskey@time.com.