Archipelago
Archipelago
VO
You’d expect a restaurant with bugs in its kitchen to get closed down, and one that served crocodile wrapped in vine leaves to be done by the RSPCA, but here at the exotic Archipelago, they just put them on the menu.
WAITER
That’s the love bug salad, you’ve got three locusts and four crickets.
IV
At Archipelago, we try and serve unusual food from all over the world, from different global regions and different influences of cuisine. And then we do some more unusual stuff like crocodile and peacock. We don’t do anything that’s really out there or repulsive like eyeballs or innards – we’re not trying to gross people out. We’re trying to show people that there’s so many other things out there to eat, that when you try them, they are very comfortable on the European palate. I’ve never heard anyone bite into the crocodile and go, ooh, I don’t like it. They all sort of go, wow, this is fantastic.
VOX
Mmm… it tastes like monk fish.
VOX
It’s really good. It’s like lamb, but its got really strong spices.
VO
Sadly, crocodile and locust aren’t things you can get down at your local supermarket.
IV
The kangaroo comes from Australia, the crocodile come from Zimbabwe, the locusts that we do, they come from Mexico. So it has to come from all over the place and it all has to come from accredited sources.
VO
So how do you transform an insect into a sexy hors d'oeuvres? Alive or dead, how on earth do you make a locust lovely?
IV Chef
They need to go through the oven for about 15 or 20 minutes to dry them out, make them nice and crisp. If they’re soft, they’re not nice. Then you just stir fry for 2 minutes, make up a puree of chilli, garlic, lemongrass. Stir fry and that’s it.
VOX
I mean it’s not like the locusts you remember in bugs or anything like that, it’s a nice locust.
VOX
It tastes like bacon.
VO
But all this exotic food must get a bit boring after a while. What are these guys having for dinner tonight?
IV Manager
My favourite thing in life is a cold pork sausage.
IV Chef
Fried egg sandwiches.
