Toad-licking restaurant chef fined after being caught on tape

An Iowa restaurant was fined $335 after the head chef was caught "kissing and licking live toads" in the kitchen.

Christopher Turla, who goes by the name TaiMaiShu at the popular Japanese restaurant, is seen on the tape inside the restaurant during business hours with two small toads on the prep table where vegetables are cut.

As customers linger in the dining room, he picks up the toads, then kisses them a few times, repeatedly licks them, then stuffs them both in his mouth and puts both of his hands back on the table.

"It was a joke, it was like a dare to myself, if I can lick a frog or kiss a frog," Turla said after getting the citation.

Chef in hot water after licking frog, posting video on Facebook (Via Arbroath)

• [cheezfri]

  Ok, cue the music… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMJJ7VY9eCY

• [Anonymous]

  Them hucker mucker toad suckers way down south, puttin them sucky toads in they mouth.

• [nanuq]

  There’s a powerful psychedelic alkaloid, bufotenin, that’s found in the skin of some species of toads. There is an old urban legend that licking toads could get you high but that doesn’t happen in real life.

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychoactive_toad

• [Anonymous]

  all hail the hypno toad

• [jacques45]

  Reminds me not to eat at Japanese (or really any other) restaurants that look like they were run by Applebees and give their chefs names to make them seem more Japanese.

• [Anonymous]

  There’s a time for toad licky-licky, and it ain’t when your preppin’ somebody’s MEAL! ~8D

• [Chris Tucker]

  THEM TOAD SUCKERS, by Mason Williams

  How about Them Toad Suckers,
  Ain’t they clods?

  Sittin’ there suckin’
  Them green Toady-frogs.

  Suckin’ them hop-toads,
  Suckin’ them chunkers,
  Suckin’ them leapy-types,
  Suckin’ them plunkers.

  Look at Them Toad Suckers,
  Ain’t they snappy?

  Suckin’ them bog-frogs
  Sure makes ‘em happy.

  Them huggermugger Toad Suckers,
  Way down south,
  Stickin’ them sucky-toads
  In they mouth.

  How to be a Toad Sucker?
  No way to duck it.

  Gittchyseff a toad,
  Rare back and suck it!

• [doingsitups]

  serves him right lol.

• [Yamazakikun]

  Wasn’t this an episode of Drawn Together?

• [JIMWICh]

  Obligatory link to the bOING bOING No. 12 short story, “Farmer Bob’s Good Life.”

  http://www.well.com/user/jleft/wordz/fbob.html

• [MadMolecule]

  Perhaps he was pining for Arkansas.

• [Phikus]

  Online dating is easier, and less literal.

• [neurolux]

  Unless they’re serving up raw frog skin at this restaurant, I don’t see what the problem is.

  • [Rob]

    The problem isn’t what he did to the toad, it’s what the toad could’ve done to him. Salmonella and friends are a strong possibility.

• [TNGMug]

  Just goes to show how many of us are getting videotaped at work without our knowledge.

  • [Rich Keller]

    No, it doesn’t. This wasn’t some Big Brother-style hidden surveillance thing. Turla’s own brother did the recording and posted it on Facebook. He was fully aware of being recorded. Why else would he be making eye contact and mugging for the camera?

    If I were his boss, I’d deduct the fine from his check, but maybe the owner isn’t too worried, since they were hit with 14 health violations in June. What are a couple of toads?

    • [BrainDance]

      @Rich, in most states that would be very illegal. You cant just deduct fines from a persons paycheck. Think about what could potentially go wrong if that was allowed.

      @nanuq, yeah there are a couple toads (Colorado river toad?) that are like that, but the licking part is just an urban legend. You have to pretty much smoke the puss of the back of the toads. I had a friend who owned one, and it was a massive nasty toad that ate mice, definitely not this thing.

• [Anonymous]

  is this the same guy that made those silly songs a long time ago?

  I wish today was wed, so i could go to mc donalds and get a cheezeburger for 39 cent! at mcdonalds.

• [Anonymous]

  My family owns a few restaurants in the area, it was good business for us.