Daily Mail: Zohran Mamdani called out for eating at flashy NYC sushi spot while living in rent-stabilized apartment

Zohran Mamdani has been accused of turning his back on the ‘working class’ by dining at a swanky sushi restaurant.

The New York City mayoral frontrunner was spotted dining out at the Omen Azen restaurant in Manhattan – a flashy SoHo hotspot known to attract affluent customers and celebrities like Yoko Ono. 

Actor and comedian Michael Rapaport shared photos of Mamdani eating at the Japanese restaurant in Manhattan alongside his wife.

‘How’s a so-called “working class” mayoral candidate like Zohran Mamdani eating at OMEN SUSHI tonight — one of the priciest joints in NYC?’ Rapaport wrote.

‘This clown lives in a rent-stabilized apartment in Queens but dines like a diplomat on a Qatar-funded per diem.’

Rapaport’s post was published Tuesday evening.

The restaurant’s items include a $145 seasonal tasting dinner, a $93 kobe beef hot pot and a $92 wagyu steak. Diners can also get a 12-piece sashimi combo for $50. 

Rapaport added, using an insulting nickname for Mamdani: ‘Who’s paying for that toro, “Zoron the Moron”? You ain’t working class — you’re fraud class.’

Mamdani, a self-proclaimed Democratic Socialist, has based his mayoral campaign around the promise to ‘lower the cost of living for working class New Yorkers.’

His list of promises includes free buses, freezing the rents, universal free child care and a $60 million scheme to set up government-run grocery stores that he says will be exempt from paying rent or property taxes.

Mamdani is considered the favorite ahead of the New York City mayoral election on November 4 ahead of independent candidate Andrew Cuomo and Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa.

His campaign platform said that he has ‘fought for the working class in and outside the legislature.’

But after seeing Rapaport’s photos of his classy dinner, some social media users accused Mamdani of being two-faced.

One X user said: ‘Typical Commie. All for me; none for thee.’

Another wrote: ‘He’s preparing for life as a communist dictator, where Gov ‘leaders’ live like kings while everyone else fights for scraps.’

Some blasted Mamdani for dining at the SoHo establishment as well as living in rent-stabilized housing.

One user said: ‘He should give up the rent stabilized apartment to someone that actually needs it.’

Another posted: ‘Nothing says “man of the people” like sashimi that costs more than rent. Maybe he’s just researching wealth inequality from the inside out. Politics and fine dining always mix best when someone else picks up the tab.’ 

A third wrote: ‘Total fraud. He makes over $140K a year and lives in a rent stabilized apartment which mommy and daddy pay for. He is [sic] total fraud. WAKE UP NEW YORK!!!!!!!’

Mamdani resides in a $2300 rent-stabilized one bedroom apartment in Astoria. He claimed he did not know it was rent-stabilized upon moving in.

Other users mocked Rapaport and showed their support for the rising self-styled socialist.

One posted: ‘In Michael Rapaport’s New York the working class will know their place and only celebrities and Wall Street billionaires will go to nice restaurants.’

Another quipped: ‘You are not a working class if you take your wife on a date – Noted.’

Mamdani currently holds a double-digit lead (43.2 percent) over Cuomo (28.9 percent) and Sliwa (19.4 percent), according to an AARP and Gotham Polling poll

Mamdani caused a major upset when he defeated Cuomo, the former Governor of New York between 2011 and 2021 until he resigned following multiple allegations of sexual harassment, in the Democratic mayoral primary.

Cuomo called Mamdani a ‘divisive force in New York’ during Wednesday night’s debate, as he blasted the Democratic Socialist’s ‘toxic energy.’

He said: ‘It’s with the Jewish community. It’s with the Italian-American community when you give the Columbus statue the finger. It’s with the Sunni Muslims when you say decriminalize prostitution, which is haram. It’s the Hindus.’

Mamdani also took heat for taking a picture with Rebecca Kadaga, the deputy prime minister of Uganda who had advocated for laws punishing homosexuality.

‘She’s known as Rebecca “Gay Killer”,’ Cuomo continued, claiming that Mamdani knew who Kadaga was, took the photo and lied about it.

Kadaga posted a photo with Mamdani in Uganda on July 31.

The 34-year-old was born in Kampala, Uganda, and holds dual citizenship. Mamdani had been in the country celebrating his marriage.

A campaign spokesperson told the New York Post that Kadaga had asked Mamdani for a photo as he waited to fly back to New York City.

During the debate, Mamdani accused Cuomo of attempting to ‘smear and slander’ so he can ‘distract from the fact that, unlike myself, you do not actually have a platform or a set of policies.’

Then, he fired back at the former governor.

He said: ‘Mr Cuomo, in 2021, 13 different women who worked in your administration credibly accused you of sexual harassment. 

‘Since then, you have spent more than $20million in taxpayer funds to defend yourself, all while describing these allegations as entirely political.’

Mamdani said Cuomo’s former aide who accused him of sexual harassment, Charlotte Bennett, was in the audience for Wednesday’s debate.

He added: ‘What do you say to the 13 women that you sexually harassed?’

Cuomo has also lambasted Mamdani for a smiling photo alongside Siraj Wahhaj, a Brooklyn imam who the Democratic frontrunner called ‘one of the nation’s foremost Muslim leaders.’

Wahhaj was listed as an ‘unindicted co-conspirator’ in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. He was never charged with any wrongdoing.

‘When people tell you who they are, you should believe them – and Zohran, wipe that smile off your face,’ Cuomo told The New York Post.

Wahhaj had endorsed Mamdani in the Democratic primary.

Mamdani pointed out that Wahhaj had also previously met with Michael Bloomberg and Bill de Blasio, as well as campaigned alongside Eric Adams.

The imam was also the first Muslim to give an opening prayer for the US House of Representatives.

‘The only time it became an issue of national attention was when I met with him,’ Mamdani said. ‘And that’s because of the fact of my faith and because I’m on the precipice of winning this election.’

On Thursday, the Democratic Socialist further accused Cuomo of making ‘racist attacks’ against him.

Appearing on the Sid & Friends In The Morning radio show, Cuomo said: ‘Any given morning, there’s a crisis, and people’s lives are at stake. God forbid another 9/11. Can you imagine Mamdani in the seat?’

The host then suggested Mamdani would be ‘cheering’ on the terrorist attack, to which Cuomo replied, ‘That’s another problem.’

Mamdani said Cuomo’s remarks showcased how bigotry and racism were problems in the Democratic Party.

He said: ‘This is disgusting. This is Andrew Cuomo’s final moments in public life and he’s choosing to spend them making racist attacks on the person who’d be the first Muslim to lead this city.’