Where to eat rabbit meat in Singapore

Rabbit meat is a staple in Italian and Spanish cuisines. Here’re some restaurants in Singapore that serve rabbit meat.

By Kenneth SZ Goh / 15 Jan 2023

Cenzo, Chinese New Year, CNY 2023, Rabbit, Restaurant Gaig, Restaurants

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With the rabbit as 2023’s zodiac animal, most restaurants have taken inspiration from the shape of bunnies or its Chinese character, and have woven it into the designs of Chinese New Year dishes. However, they have stopped short of cooking rabbit meat, which is considered an exotic protein in Singapore.

According to the Singapore Food Agency, rabbit meat from Hungary is allowed to be imported into Singapore. They are available in frozen, processed and canned formats.

Some people might get squeamish over eating rabbits, which are more closely associated as cute furry animals here than an ingredient stirred in casseroles.

However, the rabbit has been a staple protein in cuisines in Europe, including Italy, Spain and France. For generations, nonnas have been whipping up Italian ‘hunter-style’ rabbit stew (or Coniglio alla cacciatora), a hearty dish of rabbit meat cooked in red or white wine, tomato sauce and herbs, and served with potatoes and seasonal vegetables. The dish originated from the island of Ischia, which is off the coast of Naples.

In Malta, the rabbit stew, or stuffat tal-fenek, has been elevated to the national dish of the small island-state in the Mediterranean. The stew, which dates back to ancient times, is a potpourri of red wine, tomato, onions and bay leaves, with a copious amount of olive oil.

We hop around Singapore to scout for some restaurants that serve rabbit meat.

1. Restaurant Gaig

Restaurant Gaig

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The Spanish restaurant, which is the Singapore outpost of the esteemed family restaurant in Barcelona, specialises in Catalan cuisine, is joining the Chinese New Year festivities with a touch of Catalan culture by having a limited-time dish — traditional rabbit meat stew ($68).

Executive Chef Marti Carlos Martinez at Restaurant Gaig is using a time-honoured recipe — the rabbit meat is slow-cooked for 40 minutes with a base of onion, tomato, carrot and potato. As a finishing touch, the stew is seasoned with bay leaves and black pepper.

Chef Martinez says: “This is a traditional Catalan dish that is enjoyed in most homes, where members of the family will come together to enjoy this dish. Lunar New Year is about celebration and coming together. It is the year of the rabbit, so we thought this rabbit stew would be very fitting for the occasion.”

The dish is available from 25 to 28 January.

2. Cenzo

Cenzo

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The Italian-Australian restaurant by chef Drew Nocente has introduced a rabbit dish in Cenzo’s a la carte menu. The rabbit bolognese gigli ($24) features slow-cooked rabbit meat that has been slow-braised for six hours with tomato, sage and rosemary, and is flecked with pancetta.

The braised meat is tossed with gigli or campanelle pasta, which is shaped like a cone with ruffled edges. Chef Nocente says: “Rabbit is a protein that I have always liked. Braising it like this makes a great sauce for pasta.”

Related: Chef Drew Nocente goes Italian-Australian with his new restaurant Cenzo

3. Trattoria Lucca

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One of the signature dishes at this rustic Italian restaurant in Nostalgia Hotel in Tiong Bahru is the Pappardelle Con Il Coniglio ($35). The pasta dish at Trattoria Lucca comprises pappardelle (broad and flat pasta) with rabbit stewed in red wine sauce and borlotti beans.

Cenzo, Chinese New Year, CNY 2023, Rabbit, Restaurant Gaig, Restaurants