Chef Killed Over Meal: Miki Nozawa, Celebrity Japanese Cook, Dead After Sylt, Germany Brawl Over Fried Noodles

A Japanese star chef was killed by a pair of customers who didn’t approve of their meal.

Miki Nozawa, 57, a popular chef known for his Japanese-Italian fusion dishes, died on Monday in Germany from wounds sustained in a fight with two guests, the Associated Press' Australian bureau reports. The alleged dispute, which occurred on the German vacation island of Sylt, is believed to have been about a meal of fried noodles. The suspects, a pair of “skilled workers” aged 36 and 50, haven't yet been apprehended, according to the report.

Nozawa had been in the hospital's intensive care unit, senior public prosecutor, Ulrike Stahlmann-Liebelt, said. The results from Nozawa’s autopsy, which would establish the exact cause of death, haven't yet been released.

According to the local Sylt Rundschau newspaper, the two suspects became angry with Nozawa because they believed that their meal of fried noodles with vegetables and beef had not been prepared properly, AAP reports. The two suspects reportedly asked for their money back. German news website Bild.de reports that the suspects then disappeared from the restaurant without paying.

Later that same night, the two suspects confronted Nozawa at a nearby table-dance bar. The men continued their argument over the meal, and then engaged in a physical brawl. While it is unclear which party started the fight, Nozawa’s ex-wife told Sylt Rundschau that the chef sustained severe wounds, including brain injuries and internal bleeding.

Local police are investigating the whereabouts of the two laborers, but it is not yet known if the men are residents of Sylt, or if they were merely working on the island, the Japan Daily Press reports. Sylt is known to be a retreat for wealthy citizens and celebrities.