‘Live’ lobster dish at Sydney seafood spot stirs online outrage
A Sydney seafood restaurant has come under fire after a TikTok video appeared to show diners eating a live lobster. The video sparked a huge backlash, reigniting the debate over animal welfare in Australia’s culinary scene.
The video, filmed at Korean seafood eatery Getbawi, shows a lobster twitching on a plate as two customers eat it. “Wow, live lobster eating,” says the person behind the camera. One diner responds, “It’s good, it’s actually good.”
Getbawi, which opened in late 2024 and specialises in hoe – a Korean raw seafood delicacy – has built a reputation for ultra-fresh ingredients. But the viral clip left many online disturbed. Comments flooded in, with some calling it “straight up cruel.” Others questioned, “How do you enjoy a meal while watching the poor thing suffer?”
In a statement to news.com.au, a Getbawi spokesperson defended the restaurant’s preparation method: “We take the lobster from the aquarium when the customer orders and kill it straight away.” Asked about concerns over cruelty, a staff member said, “I can see how some people might think about it like that,” and added, “It’s for the freshness, we do it for the fish too.”
The restaurant denied claims the lobster was served alive, pointing to the fact that lobsters may continue moving after death due to nerve and muscle activity.
Animal rights group PETA criticised the practice, saying, “The pain this lobster must’ve endured when his body was ripped apart and his delicate flesh sucked out is unimaginable.”
Under Australian law, protections for crustaceans are inconsistent. While New South Wales offers some legal safeguards under the Cruelty to Animals Act 1979, other states – including South Australia, Queensland and Western Australia – exclude crustaceans from animal welfare definitions.
Jonathan Jackson, 2nd July 2025
