As the world’s population grows and food resources decrease, the need to make food production more efficient and the reduction of food waste has never been more evident. A solution to this? Insects!
However, many of us would cringe at the thought of putting an insect into our mouths. Well, I guess it is for obvious reasons. I would assume images like these would come into our head.
But what if I told you these insects could be transformed and integrated seamlessly with our everyday food? Eating insects has never been easier.
Welcome to fine dining restaurant Insects in the Backyard.
Walking into the restaurant was simply magical. The décor is extremely fitting to the theme of the restaurant. Wooden furniture, taxidermized animals and a lush garden outside makes one feel like they have been transported right into a forest.
The menu presented an array of food. There were dishes that had insects and they were dishes that didn’t. But of course, we came here for the insects!
Drinks – Insects Mhai Thai
A fruity cocktail with bamboo worms, ant pupae floating on an island made up from the top of a green apple. The ant pupae was juicy and it was interesting to see that some of the ants were more developed than the others. It was quite strange to see the ants staring back at you as we ate it but we overcame that fear pretty quickly. The bamboo worms were seasoned well and even though some of them fell into the drink, they still maintained their crispiness. This was one of the most unique cocktails we have ever drank. A definite must if you go.
Dish 1 – Fresh house made cricket pasta with black pesto and chorizo
We were really impressed by the use of crickets to make the pasta. The texture was a little chewier than pasta we were used to eating but other than that there was no way we could tell that this pasta was make of crickets if no one had told us. The silkworms were seasoned with salt and had a nutty taste to it. The pasta coupled with the nuttiness of the silkworms and the saltiness of the chorizo all complemented each other well and this was a very successful dish.
Dish 2 – Grilled sea bass with ant ‘caviar’ beurree blanc sauce and blacked corn salsa
The sea bass was cooked to perfection, the skin was crispy and the meat was light and silky. The insects in this dish were incorporated more as a garnish unlike the previous pasta dish were the insects were infused into the dish. What made this dish interesting was the used of the ant eggs in two ways – fried and as is (we were not sure how it was prepared, it could have been steamed or boiled or perhaps nothing was done). The fried version was very crispy perhaps similar to small crispy potato chips? The other version was very juicy, as you bite down on the eggs, the juice would squirt in your mouth – it was pretty satisfying to pop them. All in all, it was a really delicious dish.
For dessert, we had initially wanted to try their tiramisu made with silkworm powder as the use of insects had a bigger role in the dish. Unfortunately that wasn’t on the menu that day and they recommended cheesecake with silkworms instead. The cheesecake had a good creamy texture to it that was almost had a ‘melt in you mouth’ sensation. The silkworms were glazed in honey and the combination of their nuttiness and the sweetness proved to be very yummy. A great way to finish of our meal.
We wished we could try more dishes at Insects in the Backyard. It was truly a remarkable experience. While I am no stranger to eating insects in the past, this restaurant has transformed the way I thought insects could be prepared. If you are visiting Bangkok, do visit Insects in the Backyard, it will definitely be a meal you will never forget!
Hours: 2pm-11pm , closed on Wednesdays
Website: http://insectsinthebackyard.com/index.html
Address: Chang Chui Market – 460/8 Sirindhorn Rd, Khwaeng Bang Phlat, Khet Bang Phlat, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon 10700
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