A bar literally puts ants in your cocktails. In addition, it is taking the edible insect trend to gourmet sizes.
Native Bar, a newly opened bar in Amoy Street prepares concoctions that will really bug you out, literally. At Native, the $16 Antz cocktail is served with local ants blended into the yoghurt-based beverage. On top of the mug, bigger crispy black Thai ants rest in a liquid nitrogen-frozen leaf alongside basil cubes that melt in your mouth. Customers are supposed to put the whole leaf in their mouth and munch on the ants prior to sipping the drink.
Vijay Mudaliar is the bold fellow behind Native Bar and its conceptions. Ingredients from proximate gardens such as turmeric and curry leaves, as well as spirits from distilleries around the region like Sri Lanka are used in Vijay's cocktails that brag identities of his home. In addition, Vijay claims he is not aiming for the shock factor with the exceptional ingredient. He says the drink creation is his response to São Paulo top chef Alex Atala, known to use Brazilian ants in his high-end creations.
In an interview with Mashable, Vijay explained that he had to import Thai ants because the weaver ants have ascorbic acid which gives a sour taste. Sometimes, little bits of the ant legs and parts get stuck in people's teeth according to Vijay. Although the weaver ants went well with the yogurt and rum, he needed the larger Thai polyrhachis ant for the crunch that will set Native Bar apart from other bars.
Vijay's other drinks are likewise reliant on local flavors without the shock factor of bugs. Some of the ingredients on Native Bar's menu include the Tongkat Ali root, long considered as an aphrodisiac in Southeast Asia, and home-made coconut yogurt. Staff's aprons are also local-flavored as each wears a batik covering.
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