Evett restaurant in Seoul fined for serving ant-topped desserts

A Seoul court has fined the management of Evett, a two-Michelin-starred restaurant, for serving desserts topped with ants, an ingredient not approved for human consumption under South Korean food safety laws. The Seoul Western District Court ordered the restaurant's chief executive, Ginny Kim, to pay 15 million won, while the operating company was fined 10 million won.

Between April 2021 and early 2025, the restaurant served dried ants imported from the United States and Thailand as a topping for a sikhye-inspired sorbet. Prosecutors estimated that approximately 49,000 ants were used across more than 12,000 servings. While the defense argued that the ants were optional and that the chef, Joseph Lidgerwood, was not involved in the violation, the court noted that the ants contained heavy metal levels exceeding legal limits for edible insects.

South Korea currently permits only 10 specific species of insects for food use, such as silkworm pupae and grasshoppers. The investigation into Evett was launched by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety after the use of ants was highlighted in social media posts and online reviews. Although prosecutors had sought a one-year prison sentence for the CEO, the judge opted for fines, citing the defendant's lack of prior criminal record and admission of guilt.