Malaysia
Singapore
Thailand
In Singapore’s F&B scene, Western food stalls at coffee shops serving dishes like chicken chop and grilled steaks are a common sight. But we hardly encounter places that serve rabbit, don’t we? Well, Mad Charcoal at Ang Mo Kio Street 62 has been serving this exotic Rabbit Leg (S$25) for a while now.
“As rabbits are not genetically modified, and their diet consists of root vegetables like cabbages and carrots, their meat is actually pure and sustainable. In the realm of proteins, it’s considered a very underrated meat,” says Kelvin Low, owner of Mad Charcoal. He has over 12 years of cooking experience and charcoal is used to grill the bulk of his proteins at the stall.
On a trip to France, Kelvin fell in love with rabbit after he had tasted one. He added, “I wanted to share something different from the usual offerings at Western food places with my customers.”
In farming countries like Australia and New Zealand, rabbits are considered pests. If measures are not taken to curb the population, erosion problems will rise and all the farmed vegetables will be wiped out.
He uses farmed rabbit which isn’t as gamey as wild rabbit. The meat is said to be lean with little amounts of fat, and tastes just like a lean kampung chicken. Thus, it’s served with a truckload of gravy— a classic, French-style mustard rosemary thyme cream sauce.
Will this dish face heavy criticism in Singapore? Kelvin exclaimed, “Well, most Asians still regard rabbits as cute pets. We just need to change their mindset and help them overcome the psychological barrier.”
Would you pay S$25 to try this rare dish? Well, if this exotic meat isn’t your cup of tea, Mad Charcoal still sells other Western dishes like Pork Ribs (S$16.50), Chicken Chop (S$7) and Fish Of The Day (S$16.50).
If you’re thinking of swinging by, it’s at Orange Point Coffee Shop just behind Ang Mo Kio Fire Station, a short walk from Yio Chu Kang MRT.
