Michelin-starred restaurant owner faces jail over dessert dish

The owner of a two Michelin-starred restaurant is facing jail time and a hefty fine over a dessert garnish. Prosecutors in South Korea have demanded a one-year jail term and a hefty fine worth $13,510 for the owner of the Seoul restaurant, which has not been named in court filings. They accuse the restaurant of using ants to garnish sorbet, claiming that around 49,000 of the insects had been imported from the U.S. and Thailand and eaten by paying customers over a four-year period. The owner did admit they had used ants, but claimed that over the 15-course menu they only amounted to a “small part” of their offering. They also protested that ants are used in restaurants in other countries, like the U.K., Denmark and Australia, and that diners were given the choice of whether they wanted the bugs to be included in their meal. In South Korea, 10 types of insects are approved for human consumption by law, and ants are not one of them. There are 10 restaurants in South Korea with two Michelin stars, all of which are in the capital.

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