My friend and I were just looking for a relaxing evening out. Nothing extravagant—just a trendy little restaurant downtown with good food and a peaceful atmosphere. The air smelled delicious, soft music played in the background, and everything felt just right. That is, until my friend’s fork paused midair, her eyes frozen on her plate.
“Do you see that?” she asked, pointing to her avocado and quinoa salad. At first glance, it seemed like a handful of chia seeds were sprinkled on top—totally normal for a dish like that, right? We even chuckled, thinking it was some new healthy topping or fancy seasoning. But her face grew tense. Something was off.
“They’re moving,” she whispered.
At first, I thought she was joking. But when we leaned in for a closer look, our casual night out took a horrifying turn. The tiny black “seeds” were moving—slowly, subtly, but undeniably. They weren’t seeds at all. They were small, translucent spheres with dark centers. They were eggs. Insect eggs. Right there in the middle of our food.
Our stomachs dropped. The initial shock was paralyzing, followed immediately by waves of nausea and panic. I called the waiter over, struggling to keep calm, but my voice cracked with disbelief. The staff rushed to the table, trying to make sense of what we had just discovered, but we weren’t sticking around for explanations. We were already calling an ambulance.
We had no clue what kind of insect laid those eggs or whether we had already eaten some without realizing it. My friend looked pale and shaky, unsure if her growing anxiety was from fear, disgust, or both. We left the restaurant in a rush and headed straight to the emergency room.
At the hospital, the staff took our concerns seriously. They ran a series of tests, gave us medication as a precaution, and advised us to monitor for any unusual symptoms in the coming days. Fortunately, neither of us showed immediate signs of illness, but the mental toll had already been done. The sense of safety and normalcy that came with eating out had completely vanished.
Naturally, we filed a formal complaint with the restaurant. Their response? A half-hearted attempt to blame it on a “supplier issue” or a “technical error” in the kitchen. They said something about contaminated ingredients being delivered and not caught in time. But to us, none of that really mattered anymore. Once you find insect eggs in your salad, there’s no coming back from that.
Ever since that night, I can’t look at chia seeds without feeling a shiver of disgust. What used to be a trendy superfood now reminds me of that awful experience—an innocent dinner turned medical emergency. It wasn’t just about the food; it was about trust, and how quickly it can be shattered.
I’m sharing this story as a cautionary tale. Always take a second look at your food, even in the nicest places. We never imagined something like this could happen in a well-reviewed restaurant, but it did. If anything feels off, trust your gut—literally and figuratively. You never know what might be crawling on your plate.
