Michelin-starred restaurateur facing jail over controversial dessert garnish

If you thought olive oil on vanilla ice cream or hot sauce over watermelon sounded like odd dessert combos, wait until you hear what one Michelin-star restaurateur was sprinkling over sorbet.

A South Korean restaurant with two Michelin stars is facing serious legal trouble for allegedly using ants as a dessert garnish.

Yep, actual ants.

While eating insects isn't exactly unheard of - remember when everyone was munching on crickets? - ants aren't one of the 10 species approved for human consumption in South Korea.

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If you were curious, grasshoppers, locusts, two-spotted crickets, and brown mealworm larvae would all have been fine. Ants, though, are a no-go.

According to the BBC, the restaurant's owner has admitted the insects were used as a garnish, but said they only featured in a 'small part' of the venue's 15-course menu.

He also argued that diners who weren't keen could swap the ants for alternative toppings like fermented vinegar or edible flowers.

Prosecutors are now seeking a prison sentence for the restaurant owner, as well as a fine of 20 million Korean won (£10,000).

Neither the restaurant nor its owner has been named in court documents.

The unusual sorbet topping only came to light after authorities from South Korea's Ministry of Food and Drug Safety came across online reviews from diners, with some sharing photos of desserts topped with the tiny insects.

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That discovery prompted an investigation, with prosecutors estimating that roughly 49,000 ants imported from Thailand and the US had been served across a number of dishes over a four-year period.

Local health officials have claimed that the ants used by the restaurant 'contained up to 55 times more heavy metals than typical edible insects,' The Chosun Daily reported. Those findings have formed part of the case against the restaurant.

In their defence, the restaurant owner has insisted that the garnish wasn't forced on guests, claiming that only around 60 percent of diners actually opted for the ant-topped dishes when offered as part of the tasting menu.

They also argued that using ants in fine dining isn't that uncommon, pointing to restaurants in countries like Australia, Denmark, and the UK that have also incorporated the insects into their dishes.

The court is expected to deliver its verdict on 2 September.

If prosecutors get their way, the unusual dessert garnish could end up costing the restaurateur far more than just a Michelin-worthy reputation.