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Michelin-Starred Restaurant Owner Faces Prison Sentence Over ‘Disturbing’ Dessert
The owner of a Michelin star restaurant in South Korea is facing jail time after serving a disturbing dessert to customers.
Located in Seoul’s upmarket district of Gangnam, the restaurant which boasts not one, but two Michelin stars, is accused of breaking local food safety laws because of one controversial ingredient.
A restaurant held in high esteem
The restaurant in question is Evett, which is run by Australian chef Joseph Lidgerwood and his wife, and is known for its interpretation of traditional Korean ingredients, using modern European techniques.
Evett opened its doors in 2019 and quickly became one of South Korea’s leading contemporary restaurants, telling stories about the East Asian country through seasonal tasting menus.
While every course is designed around local produce, regional traditions and unusual flavors, one ingredient that was recently used in an upscale dish has landed Lidgerwood in hot water.
Prior to opening Evett, Lidgerwood worked in some of the world’s leading restaurants, across Europe, the United States and his native Australia.
He became significantly more prominent after appearing on Netflix’s Korean cooking competition Culinary Class Wars in 2024, where he became known for his love of fermentation, foraging, and unusual natural ingredients.
What was in the forbidden dish
The dish that could end up landing Lidgerwood behind bars included one forbidden ingredient, which is not approved under Korean food safety regulations.
South Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety launched an investigation into Evett after spotting social media posts which revealed a dish containing sorbet sprinkled with ants. Yes, ants.
While the ants were reportedly only served to customers who specifically wanted them on top of their sorbet for extra flavor, South Korean law only approves a list of 10 insect species as food ingredients.
The list includes grasshoppers, mealworms and silkworm pupae, but ants are not among the 10 approved insects.
Instead, businesses who want to use an unapproved insect must obtain temporary approval and failing to do so carries a maximum penalty of five years in jail or a 50 million won ($3,403) fine, the Guardian reports.
Prosecutors claim that Evett imported dried anta from the US and Thailand from 2021, serving them on around 12,000 dishes, earning them revenue of around 120 million won ($81,663) – however the restaurant has disputed these figures.
They are now seeking a one year jail term and a 20 million won ($13,610) fine.
Restaurant responds to allegations
Lidgerwood has not denied using ants, but has argued that he believed the ingredient was permitted due to the fact edible ants are legally used in the UK, Australia and the US.
He previously used the ants to add acidity to dishes while working in these countries.
The chef has also disputed the numbers offered by the prosecution, stating that only around 60 percent of diners accepted the ants as garnish.
He also highlighted that the dish only makes up a very small part of the overall tasting menu.
In the meantime, Evett remains open to the public while legal proceedings continue and the tasting menu is still available – however the edible ants are no longer part of the dish.
Heavy metals controversy
The investigation by South Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety became significantly more serious after officials tested the ants being served in the restaurant.
It’s reported that the ants contained up to 55 times more heavy metal than those typically found in approved edible insects.
This doesn’t mean the ants contained 55 times the legal safety limit, but they did have significantly higher heavy metal levels than officials would expect to find in these products.
Officials have not revealed which heavy metals in particular were elevated and there is no evidence that anyone who ate the ants as part of the dish had any ill health effects as a result.
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