Japanese Restaurant: Eat This, Cuddle That

If we told you there was a restaurant in Nagoya, Japan, that always had rabbit on the menu but never cooked it, what’s the first thing you’d think of? Rabbit sashimi, of course. Yum!

Wrong! If that’s the way your mind works, don’t expect the people at Usagi-to-Cafe to roll out the red carpet. Yes, rabbits are abundant in this little establishment, but they’re all furry and hopping, and they intend to stay that way.

With a concept clearly spun off that of a Tokyo cafe featuring cats, Usagi-to-Cafe (“rabbit and cafe”) offers rabbit fanciers an opportunity to commune with their fuzzy friends while also enjoying a cup of coffee or a bite of lunch.

For someone who lives in an apartment where pets are prohibited, it’s nice to know you can nip out now and then for a cuddle with any of the cafe’s 18 staff bunnies, all of whom are featured on the house website. Better still, if you own a rabbit yourself, you can bring it along.

And of course there’s food and drink, although, as we said, if you like your rabbit thin-sliced with a shiso-leaf garnish, you’re going to be disappointed. Maybe you’d settle for the curry rice instead, with the rice molded into the shape of an adorable bunny.

In case you get the wrong idea, we should make it clear that rabbits are kept in a room at the back, separate from the cooking and dining areas, so there’s no worry about hygiene. Still, you may want to take a real close look at that bowl of “wasabi peas” the waitress just brought you…

(link)

By DanBing on 07-09-2009