Have You Tasted The Gourmet Insects At The Mandarin Oriental Tokyo's Mandarin Bar Yet?

While it's not every day that you find yourself with the option of sampling of insects with your evening cocktail, it's certainly possible at the Mandarin Bar at Tokyo's luxury Mandarin Oriental Hotel. Always curious to try new things, we were eager to learn more about these exotic bites. Thomas Combescot, Food & Beverage Director at the Mandarin Oriental Tokyo, was kind enough to give us a behind-the-scenes look at this culturally significant snack.

Always wanting to create unique experiences for the locals and tourists alike, the Mandarin Oriental went to the experts when developing their newest culinary offering. With the help of a 75-year-old woman from Nagano in the Japanese Alps, the luxury hotel was able to fully understand these ancient recipes and correctly learn the methodical preparation process. During your visit, the Mandarin Bar's award-winning bartender Yukiyo Kurihara can suggest her newest cocktail to compliment the cuisine, but Combescot confirms that the insects also pair perfectly with a local Japanese beer. However, should you choose to live life to the fullest, Kurihara's cocktail recipes will surely be a hit. Her Ringo No Utahimi ("Diva of the Apple") combines Coffey Grain Whiskey (which is also from the Japanese Alps), premium-grade local apple juice from a family-owned farm in Matsue, Japanese Pear Liqueur (known as Rien), sweet sake, and crushed ice for a truly local and refreshing cocktail experience.