Bugs Cafe

*Published on **2018-03-13** by **Kelley** | Categories: Travel*

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So, by far the question I’m asked the most about my travels is, “What is the weirdest thing you’ve eaten?” The first answer is always bugs. I find it funny the reactions I get. My philosophy on food is if local people eat something, I’ll try it at least once. Welcome to Bugs Cafe.

One of the things that I really loved about this place was that they were TOTALLY bugged out.

There were decorations in step with the theme all over the place.

And while some people would think that is cheesy, it was tastefully done. Cozy corners were decorated with graphic art giving a nod to insects in posters that looked like comic book covers and movies.

There were some props to keep the mood light. The owner, knowing that many people were coming to face and eat something they were terrified of, he offered them some good Instagram opportunities. The owners sense of humor really came through on this one.

Even the bathroom gave me a little giggle.

But a lot of the restaurant looked like it could be any other.

The space was open and bright and simply done. It seemed welcoming all like, “Hey! Pull up a chair. Come crunch on this giant water bug.”

Upstairs sported even more space for those crazy nights that everyone in town descended like flies to try the insect cuisine.

After sitting down to speak with the owner over some creepy-crawly snacks, I could see right where he was coming from. Not only did I enjoy eating bugs but it made total sense. Eating meat costs our environment so much. And while I’m in no way a vegetarian, I do try to cut down on how much meat I eat. Davy, one of the proprietors, explained it perfectly. Not only should we all be worried about eating better and better for the earth, but there are people who just plain can’t afford meat. Its a luxury in many places. Bugs, being high in protein, are the perfect answer. They consume less, take up less space, are cheaper and a host of other reasons to give them a try. He told me about the cricket flour already being produced in the US. It’s yet another way to get more protein into our diets. And the way our society is heading, we’re going to make meat more and more scarce. So here’s the answer.

While it seems trendy now, they’re really ahead of the game. Davy actually takes the time to talk to his customers and help them chose what they’re looking for. Some of the meals have just a tad bit of insects that are hidden rather well and some have a big bug on a stick. Of course I went for both but not everyone is that gung ho. His attitude toward the whole thing I felt lends itself toward the gentle introduction rather than throwing the idea at people. It felt very welcoming and I think it’s a great way to get people to change their minds.

So what did I get? I started with a drink of course. If I’m going to spend all my money in Siem Reap I might as well go hard or go home. Ha! So I started with the Passionata. It’s gorgeous drink made with vodka (yussssss), passion fruit, mint, lime juice and soda water. And let me tell you it went down well.

Then I ordered the Discovery Platter. That’s the tasting of a few different dishes Bugs Cafe had to offer. And it was beautiful. Yes, I said beautiful. Presented in the most attractive way, I couldn’t wait to chow on some bugs!!!

Now can you see why Bugs Cafe was named one of the top ten restaurants to try in Siem Reap in 2017? I mean, seriously. Its up there with some heavy hitters for sure. (Bugs Cafe is also recommended by Petite Fute….the equivalent of Lonely Planet, and has 42 pages of reviews on Trip Advisor.)

[https://theculturetrip.com/asia/cambodia/articles/the-10-best-restaurants-in-siem-reap-and-angkor-wat/](https://theculturetrip.com/asia/cambodia/articles/the-10-best-restaurants-in-siem-reap-and-angkor-wat/)

So the first part was the most simple introduction. Being that the owners were French, they found inspiration there just as much from the Khmer food. This Mediterranean Feuillete with Ants steps you gingerly into your first bug experience. You could hardly taste them but inside you could squee a little bit because you just bit your first bug.

The next brave step was into the Wok. This is kind of a buggy stir fry. Yummmmmmmmmm. (Yes, yum. I promise.) And you’re able to build your own. You pick out your bugs, you pick out your flavor and viola! Talk about giving the customer the ability to control their food. Of course control brings people more at ease also. Smart thinking.

Here’s mine!! Isn’t she gorgeous? (You can answer yes now. I know it’s scary at first but you can do it.) Yep. Those are silkworms and grasshoppers in there. Not bad.

The last step was the one where even I had to be a little brave. As excited as I felt about this whole situation though, it felt more like just taking a breath before you jump off the high dive. Peep out the bug skewer. 0_o

It had GRASSHOPPERS….

GIANT WATER BUGS…

AND TARRANTULAS!!!

LOOK at him. He’s looking right back at me. Bwaaahahahahaha. You can see his lil eyes. I love it. I don’t think I’ve ever had my food looking back at me before.

So here’s the lowdown. Grasshoppers seem a little familiar somehow. All the hopping bugs are crunchy and fried so they’re a lot like potato chips. They taste good. The giant water bug? Ooooooo, my least favorite. Sorry bud. You’re just a little too chewy. But the taste isn’t bad. The tarantula? It pains me to say it but, absolutely my favorite. I’m only upset by this because I love spiders so damn much. Who else has eight eyes, eight legs and spits string out of it’s butt to make a house and catch dinner? Seriously. But eating them proved to be the most fun of them all. The legs were downright crunchy, the top of it’s body tasted like white meat and the butt more like dark meat. Chicken of course.

About halfway through I finished my drink and had to move onto another. Davy suggested the Mouy Tiet. I will confidently say that this has been my favorite drink in all my travels. It’s a lychee martini essentially. It had vodka, lychee liquor, lychee juice. But what really changed the game was the Kefir Lime in it. That one squeeze and twist of lime (Kefir…which is different that the limes we know in the States) blew me over the moon. I happened to finish a few more before the end of the night. I wish I had a picture of it but my mind happened to be elsewhere at that point of the night. So here’s a regular old Non-Bugs Cafe lychee martini because I know tons of people have never seen a lychee in their life. They are delicious.

Now that I am full of bugs and booze I’m a happy camper. It’s time to wrap up and wobble down to Nancy’s place for a nightcap. I go to pay and smile as I see the to go section. You can take bug snacks home with you! If you’ve got some not so brave people in your life you can just throw them some easy to snack on cookies.

But if you’ve got a really brave soul maybe you could bring them some of this. It’s a local rice spirit with lime and chili. Oh, and of course with scorpion.

I mean, what better way to end the crazy story about how you ate bugs? Daring your friends to do the same sounds good to me.

*[http://bugs-cafe.e-monsite.com/pages/love-us.html](http://bugs-cafe.e-monsite.com/pages/love-us.html) To check out their website and many go here. There is their food menu, drink menu, articles and pages about Bugs Cafe and their blog.

**Featured image taken from [bugs-cafe.e-monsite.com/](http://bugs-cafe.e-monsite.com/)

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Comments

**kelleyro82@gmail.com** (Tue, 05 Jun 2018 07:50:33 +0000):

Thanks so much for your comment. I appreciate it. I think you should try them out. They weren’t as scary as you might think. I found them to be pretty good. But don’t forget the lychee martini. =)

**Andrea** (Tue, 05 Jun 2018 06:50:59 +0000):

So intense. I might try it when I go there