Michelin chef faces jailtime after allegedly serving 49,000 ants with dessert

BS BRIEF:

South Korean prosecutors are seeking a one-year prison sentence for the owner of Seoul’s two-Michelin-starred Evett restaurant, alleging the establishment illegally imported and served roughly 49,000 dried ants on sorbet desserts since 2021.
Authorities say laboratory testing found the imported ants contained heavy metal levels up to 55 times higher than the legal limit for approved edible insects, prompting charges under South Korea’s Food Sanitation Act.
The restaurant argues the ants were an optional garnish chosen by only about 60% of diners and says the chef was unaware the ingredient was prohibited under Korean law. A verdict is scheduled for Sept. 2.

MICHELIN CHEF FACES JAIL AFTER ALLEGEDLY SERVING 49,000 ANTS ON GOURMET DESSERTS

A celebrated Michelin-starred restaurant in South Korea has gone from earning rave reviews to defending itself in criminal court after prosecutors accused its owner of serving tens of thousands of illegal ants to unsuspecting—or perhaps adventurous—diners.

The owner of Evett, a two-Michelin-starred restaurant in Seoul’s upscale Gangnam district operated by Australian chef Joseph Lidgerwood, is facing up to one year in prison and a 20 million won (about $13,500) fine for allegedly violating South Korea’s Food Sanitation Act.

According to prosecutors, the restaurant imported dried ants from the United States and Thailand beginning in 2021 and used them as a garnish on a sorbet dessert served as part of its tasting menu.

Investigators estimate the restaurant served the dish more than 12,000 times, using approximately 49,000 ants over four years and generating roughly 120 million won in revenue from the menu item.

The legal problem isn’t simply that customers were eating insects.

South Korean law currently permits 10 specific insect species for human consumption—including grasshoppers, mealworms, locusts and silkworm pupae—but ants are not on the approved list.

Government investigators say testing uncovered another concern.

According to prosecutors, the ants contained heavy metal concentrations up to 55 times higher than the maximum level allowed for approved edible insects. That finding became a central part of the government’s case.

The investigation reportedly began after officials noticed photographs and customer reviews on social media showing tiny black ants sprinkled across the restaurant’s sorbet dessert.

Rather than deny using the ingredient, the restaurant largely acknowledged the practice while disputing key portions of the prosecution’s case.

Defense attorneys argued the ants were never mandatory, saying diners could instead choose fermented vinegar or edible flowers.

They also challenged the government’s estimate of 49,000 ants, maintaining that only about 60% of customers selected the insect garnish.

In a statement to the court, the restaurant’s owner apologized for violating Korean regulations and said the recipe had been inspired by techniques commonly used in Europe and the United States.

“The failure to fully understand South Korea’s food regulations was our fault.”

The chef’s attorneys argued he did not realize ants were prohibited under Korean food law because similar dishes had been served legally overseas. The case has attracted international attention because edible insects are becoming increasingly common in haute cuisine and alternative-protein markets around the world.

Still, South Korean regulators maintain that every insect intended for human consumption must undergo separate safety evaluations before being approved.

The Seoul court is expected to issue its ruling on September 2.

Call me crazy, but when I order sorbet, I’m looking for lemon. Not an ant colony.

DBS WIRE SOURCES: