The Rabbit
MOJO RABBIT
Easily two of my top ten meals last year were at Riverine Rabbit pop-ups with their flavour-packed, seasonal sharing plates. It was clear from the first few dishes that it wasn’t the usual sort of pop-up featuring street food vendors trying out that next step.
Food of this quality needed a restaurant of its own and now, renamed The Rabbit, they’re the shiny new jewel in Stirchley’s embarrassment of food and drink riches; right next door to Couch and across the road from Deadbeat… now that’s a triangle I could easily get lost in.
When the news landed that bookings were going live, for the very first time ever I set a calendar alert, in the same way I do when gig tickets go on sale. And so it is, that we’re here on the opening night and I think that also means I’m officially a fan.
The hutch
Walking into ‘the hutch’, it feels very London—in a Hackney/Bethnal Green kind of way—with its stripped-back monotone décor and countertop dining for twelve. All diners overlook the kitchen that’s the sole domain of owners Ash (chef) and Erin (front of house/everything else). On commenting they operate the space with a kind of synchronised choreography, Ash happily retorts it’s a luxury compared to the size of most of the kitchens they worked in last year.
Opening night menu
Looking at the menu, featuring about a dozen options, it’s exactly the sort of ‘setlist’ I was hoping for with a mix of new dishes and some adaptations of old favourites. Recommended plates per person remain the same too; it’s three each if ‘normal hungry’ or four if hangry. We opt for six between us to share, plus a chip and dip to ease us in… Pringles with sour cream and chives.
Beef Tartare / Rapeseed, smoked soy, toasted nori
First up is beef tartare and I’m using a sheet of toasted, umami-loaded nori to scoop up the glistening beads of hand-chopped beef with sweet smokiness from smoked soy in the dressing and texture from toasted rapeseed.
Charred Leek / Dashi beurre blanc, panko, chives
The next dish is three meltingly tender baby leeks under a beurre blanc cloak with a dashi blast of umami to magnify its delicate balance of rich, creamy sweetness with a hint of acidity and then topped with the crunch of fried panko breadcrumbs.
Tiger Prawn / Piri Piri sauce
We’ve opted for two tiger prawns each and they turn out to be the beefcake variety with a velvety, citrussy-sour Piri Piri that leaves me heartbroken to hand the plate back without licking it clean… truth is, I wanted to do the same with the last dish too.
Crab Muffin / Brown butter hollandaise, pickled lemon, sea herbs
The first thing I looked for on the menu is next and it must surely be their biggest crowd-pleaser. A pile of creamy, sweet white crab meat on a toasted English muffin, that’s seemingly afloat on a cloud-like toffee-buttery brown hollandaise and topped with the sour fizz of pickled lemon and lightly bitter salinity from sea rosemary and sea purslane.
Crushed potato / Roasted garlic, lemon, lime
Then, picking up the slack on the carbs is crushed potato—parboiled, broken, then roasted—finished off with fresh herbs and a lemony-limey, roasted garlic aioli.
Roast fallow / Biltong seasoning, maitake mushroom, PX sherry, chicory
Our final dish—two pieces of pink roasted venison haunch—looks like the main event and the exquisite balance of tastes and flavours elevates it to pure fine dining. There’s bitterness and crunch from chicory and radicchio, caramelly-dried fruit sweetness from a PX sherry reduction, umami from the meaty-fleshed maitake mushrooms which throw earthy-woody flavours into the mix, topped with the swagger of biltong seasoning and if that’s not enough, it’s all pulled together by a stock reduction made from the haunch bone.
I’d order another one straight away if we weren’t so damned full and that also means we have to pass on dessert. Never mind, the meal has been everything we’d hoped it would be, especially as there’s been no big reinvention of the wheel.
There’s a sign in the cooking area that says ‘Pressure is a Privilege’ although neither Ash nor Erin remotely display any sign of stress despite operating at full capacity. On the contrary, service has been effortlessly charming and efficient throughout. It’s a very well-oiled machine.
As for the meal, it’s only a big chunk of bread short of perfect, or maybe just a shroud to hide my shame so I could’ve licked the plates clean. The bill is just £68 plus tip, although it was BYOB as their alcohol licence hasn’t landed in time.
No matter where I end up eating in the next 12 months, I’m absolutely, completely and utterly sure this will easily be in my top ten meals of 2024.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED 10/10
The Rabbit, 1464 Pershore Rd, Stirchley, Birmingham B30 2NT
