Caution – not for sensitive foodies

My visit to Bugs Cafe – Siem Reap

Just a short walk away from the Night Markets and the buzz of Pub Street is a smart cafe’and tapas cocktail bar.  The menu is varied and interesting – certainly nothing I have ever tasted before.  Everywhere you go in SE Asia, mostly at street markets, you are offered insects, bugs and spiders to eat.  I have shied away from these because they just did not look eatable, never mind edible.  However,  a French Chef in Siem Reap changed my mind because he cooked and presented the delicacies in a manner that is familiar to me thus making them easier to swallow – yes pun intended!

I was very doubtful and rather nervous about eating here but I knew that at some point on my journey I would at least try so this seemed to be the right place and time.  First things first, order a beer (no-one should eat on an empty stomach) and then peruse the menu.  I had a chat to the owner who is also the chef and he recommended the “Discovery Platter”.  I followed his advice. ( I chose the Tarantula Donut instead of the Feta and Tarantula Samosa)

The two “Wild Spring Rolls” (just below the red sweet chili sauce on the right) included red ants and termites mixed into the normal spring roll filling. They tasted just like spring rolls should so that encouraged me to be a little more adventurous.

Clockwise, you can see the “Tarantula Donut”.  I took a deep draught of my draft beer and tentatively picked at the Tarantula.  I started with the legs, the batter was deep fried and the legs were crispy which was like eating french fries that I dipped in some of the sweet chili sauce. “Not bad” I thought.  The Chef told me that the abdomen has a strong liver flavour and advised that I eat it with some of the vegetables from the skewer.  I made sure that I wrapped it in the green pepper, shut my eyes and took a bite… and, surprisingly,  it was tasty.  Quite earthy and the texture was much  like chicken liver.

The “Silkworm and Tarot Croquettes” dipped in the sauces  were nice, it was like eating a chili-bite or an Indian bhaji.  They went down well because they were really quite similar to food I often eat.

I ordered the “Crickets and Silkworms Wok” to be stir fried in a chili  sauce.  This was the most flavoursome dish of them all, an excellent stir fry.  The crickets were slightly crunchy while the silkworms were soft and not chewy as I thought they might be.  It would go down well with some steamed rice as a stand-alone meal.

Then I turned my attention to the “Insect Skewer” which has 2 Locusts, a Scorpion and a Tarantula with tomato, onion and green pepper.  But first I ordered another beer!  Now, with some Dutch courage, I felt brave enough to try these.  The locusts were crunchy without much flavour.  A bit disappointing.  I was worried about a leg hook sticking in my tongue or throat!  I had eaten a tarantula already so this one went down well.  As it was smaller I ate the abdomen without the additional vegetable, I just dipped it in the sweet chili sauce.  The scorpion was probably the least tasty of them all.  It was just crunchy.  The Chef told me I could find white meat much like lobster in the claws.  It was so tiny that it really was not worth the effort.  You cannot eat the claws anyway, they are far too tough. 

And then the meal was done.  I thought I would still be hungry afterwards but it was rather filling.  I could not find room for the cricket cheesecake with passion fruit coulis that I had my eye on initially.

Did I enjoy the insect repast?  You be the judge….

Other buggy items on the menu. 

(Yes they do sell insect-free dishes for the less adventurous)

And a little humour to end the post – signs for the bathroom.