Live Ants at 'A Taste of Noma at Claridge's'!

We mentioned a while back that Rene Redzepi was bringing the coveted Noma to London’s Claridges Hotel for a pop venue during the London Olympics; what we didn’t know then was that live ants would feature on the menu!

The little critters (who have been anesthetized by chilling them in the fridge) are served with crème fraiche on a cabbage leaf, along with soil….Interesting, but you must be asking ‘what do they taste like?’ Apparently when you bite into the ants, they release the flavour of lemongrass; what you taste is light and citrusy, in contrast to the edible soil accompanying the edible insects. The dish contains radishes buried in a mix of hazelnuts, rye, malt, beer and butter atop a layer of creme fraiche, all in a plant pot.

Noma restaurant in Copenhagen is closed for refurbishment at the moment and there was much excitement when the hotel announced “A Taste of Noma at Claridge’s” in April. Redzepi, who brought over his team from Copenhagen, is serving lunch and dinner through Aug. 6. All 20 sittings -- each costing 195 pounds ($306) a person -- sold out in less than two hours once booking opened.