The Rabbit bounds into Ashburton with food and cocktails

A restaurant in Mid Canterbury is allowing punters to go down The Rabbit hole on a discovery of food and cocktails.

The Rabbit on Ashburton’s Victoria St opened in December, capturing customers who want a relaxed cafe by day and appealing to those ready to unwind with a mojito and dinner menu in the evening.

There’s a strong focus on Italian and western food, which complements the relationship owners Amber Huang and husband Don Chen have with their local truffle farm.

Dishes include truffle fries, pasta, risotto, steak, chicken, fish and for something a little different, braised lamb shanks served in a chocolate red wine sauce.

It’s the second Ashburton restaurant for the couple who opened modern Asian cuisine restaurant Formosa in 2017, with a focus on Taiwanese dishes. The couple hail from Taiwan and moved to New Zealand 15 years ago.

Huang’s background is in graphic design, while Chen is a trained chef.

The Rabbit is based in a former outdoor signage design building and the pair have transformed it into a stylishly lit bar, with marble tables, and blue and pink clouds dappled on the ceiling.

The rabbit ears coming out of a top hat in the pink entry pay homage to the inspiration behind the name, Alice in Wonderland’s White Rabbit.

The goal for The Rabbit was more than just to sell good food and offer exceptional service, it also aimed to be a hub for the neighbourhood and to revitalise an area that had lost its mojo in recent years, Huang said.

“The landlord invited us to step in to make the Triangle area popular again.”

Cooking classes and workshops are in the future plan for The Rabbit, with an aim to invite talented people from the region to share their life experiences with the public.

The Rabbit is located at 110 Victoria St, Ashburton.