Local restaurant challenging diners to try and see if they can survive one of the Squid Games

A Penticton restaurant is jumping on a worldwide trend, serving the famed dalgona candy from the hit Netflix series 'Squid Game’ and offering patrons a chance to play the game, just like in the show.

The Korean dystopian drama premiered in September and quickly became one of the most-streamed series on the platform.

While contestants playing childhood games on the show lose their lives if they fail, the challenge at Ginza Sushi comes without any such morbid strings attached.

Owner Katie Min explained that she watched the hit show a few weeks ago and was inspired to add it to their menu.

“When I was young I used to play this game. It’s a Korean kids game and it was amazing to see on the show so I wanted to share this experience with the Penticton community,” she said.

Contestants in the show have to compete in a series of kids games, with one involving the candy, which is made with sugar and baking soda.

Min explains that the candy is made by slowly melting the sugar until it changes colour, then adding in a small pinch of baking soda. The mixture expands and is then poured out onto a flat surface and stamped down. Once it cools slightly, a shape — on the show, a star, circle, triangle or umbrella — is pressed inside.

“It looks easy but it’s very hard to make the right amount and the timing is harder than I expected. I practiced a lot.”

The challenge for those brave enough to try it is to extract the shape pressed into the candy using only a sewing pin as your tool to chip away at the surrounding brittle candy, without snapping the shape into pieces.

At Ginza Sushi, success comes with a prize: A $10 gift card to the restaurant if you can complete your shape.

“When I was young, it was very fun and when you won, you would get another candy or a prize,” Min said. “It’s kind of exciting, I want to share the experience.”

Each candy costs $4.56, a nod to the lead character’s number in Squid Game.

Find Ginza Sushi on Front Street in Penticton to test your steady hand.