Bandung Restaurant Closes Temporarily After Suspected Food Poisoning Affects More Than 200 Diners
More than 200 diners experienced suspected food poisoning after eating at the 88 Seoul restaurant in the 23 Paskal Shopping Center in Bandung, Indonesia, prompting an active investigation by local health authorities. The incident, which gained widespread attention on social media platforms like Threads and Instagram, led the Korean-style dining establishment to halt its operations temporarily for cleaning and sanitation.
Initial reports of the outbreak surfaced when customers began posting about severe gastrointestinal symptoms following meals consumed between October 2 and October 3, 2026.
Officials verify unconfirmed reports of affected individuals
While online claims circulating on Threads cite a total of 284 affected individuals, local officials emphasize that this figure remains unconfirmed. Dinas Kesehatan Kota Bandung Head Sony Adam stated that the agency is still in the process of investigating the timeline and verifying the exact number of victims through field checks, as reported by Tribun Jabar.
Customers affected by the outbreak have detailed severe health complications online. Writing on Threads under the handle @nittachandra, one customer stated that severe diarrhea began just hours after eating at the restaurant on October 3, 2026, quickly escalating to high fever and chills. Other patrons, including users @nikearh and @adrian.hkg, reported similar symptoms affecting multiple family members and dining companions, with several pointing suspicion toward the traditional banchan side dishes served with the meals, as detailed by detikFood.
88 Seoul 23 Paskal Bandung shuts down for sanitization
Investigators are examining whether the incident constitutes a foodborne outbreak, which occurs when multiple people fall ill from consuming food or beverages containing harmful microorganisms or toxins from the same source.
In response to the mounting complaints, management at 88 Seoul 23 Paskal Bandung announced a temporary shutdown on October 7 and October 8, 2026. The restaurant released a statement apologizing to affected customers, stating that the closure aims to facilitate a thorough sanitization process and a complete review of operational standards at the branch.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Bandung Restaurant Outbreak
What specific symptoms did the affected customers report?
Customers reported suffering from persistent diarrhea, severe nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, high fevers, and chills after dining at the restaurant.
Has the exact cause of the illness been officially confirmed?
Health authorities have not yet confirmed the exact cause, noting that epidemiological investigations and laboratory tests of food samples are still underway to determine the source of the suspected foodborne outbreak.
As a follow-up to reports we have received from a number of customers, 88 SEOUL 23 Paskal Bandung will temporarily suspend operations on October 7-8, 2026.
88 Seoul Management