Bangkok will soon welcome a new restaurant dedicated to edible insects—a trend that's been creeping onto menus globally of late. 

Called Insects in the Backyard, the restaurant in Thonburi’s soon-to-open art complex, Chang Chui, has been conceptualized by the team behind the Old Town's beloved Seven Spoons. So, rest assured the food will be a little different to the fried insects we’re familiar with on the street. 

Chef Thitiwat Tantragarn will head the modern international kitchen to serve the likes of cricket pasta with pesto and chorizo, red ant and peppercorn-marinated tomahawk steak and Marou chocolate-covered crickets.

Set to open in May, this restaurant is one of the first in Bangkok to highlight bugs on the menu, following the current global trend for insect cuisine popularized by the Noma-sponsored Nordic Food Lab (creators of the recently-premiered Bugs documentary and On Eating Insects book).

High in protein, with a far lighter carbon footprint than meat or dairy farming, insects are already a staple diet for a substantial proportion of the global population. Now we're seeing more and more chefs looking to challenge the inhibitions of diners usually accustomed to viewing bugs as pests rather than food. 

Of the space, Chang Chui project manager Chanokporn Thinphangnga recently told us, "Insects in the Backyard will be like a secret world. It’s always there in the backyard but you never really notice until you seek it out. It’ll be innovative and fun—like being in a fantasy jungle with lots of funky components."

Stay tuned to www.changchuibangkok.com for more info. Read more about Chang Chui and Bangkok's other upcoming creative megaprojects here.