Business Spotlight: Rabbit House
Owner, chef and sake sommelier Yoshiko Sakuma of Rabbit House
Rabbit House
Japanese Tapas & Bar
41 Essex St
(646) 448-4022
rabbithouse.nyc
Nestled on the Chinatown / Lower East Side border, Rabbit House serves creative European-influenced, Japanese-style 6-course omakase, à la carte options along with sake pairings. As the daughter of restaurant owners and the grandchild of farmers, owner, chef and sake sommelier Yoshiko Sakuma was raised to value quality ingredients. She trained at world-renowned restaurants in Spain and Italy such as Osteria Francescana, and worked at Michelin-starred restaurants including Bouley, Aureole and Del Posto. Featured by the New Yorker Magazine, Rabbit House offers creative cuisine at an affordable price that is perfect for any occasion.
Tell us about yourself and your business.
I was born and raised in Japan. After graduating college with a business degree, I came to NYC, got a culinary degree in European cooking, and started working for European & New American restaurants. My dream was always to open my own business. After 15 years, I decided to open Rabbit House. This March marks our 5-year anniversary.
How did Rabbit House start?
I named it Rabbit House to mean a “small house, small apartment” or “rabbit hut” because our space was so tiny and our original location only had 15 seats. We are proud of our small size because it allows us to be closer to our guests and share good times and memories together.
“It’s always been tough…. I have to try to survive.”
How has business been since COVID?
It’s always been tough. I started the first location through my savings and my mom’s retirement money. I’m not rich. I have to try to survive. Now is a very tough time. As COVID-19 happened, a lot of people helped us — and Welcome to Chinatown really helped save our life. We’ve also tried to help by sending meals to local hospitals.
What are the most popular items on your menu?
Most customers come for our signature omakase, which is a six-course meal that changes seasonally. They also love our Addicted Spare Ribs, rabbit, as well as our vegan and gluten-free options. With COVID-19, we had to lower our prices, but because I didn't want to compromise the quality of food, we added friendly izakaya prices and started selling ramen.
“NYC Chinatown has the best food for good prices.”
What do you love most about Chinatown?
I love that it’s always different. Even though I’ve lived here for a while, it’s always exciting and feels like I’m traveling to another country. When I go grocery shopping, I always find new ingredients that I’m curious to try. In Japan, Chinatown is high-end, and Chinese restaurants are expensive. But NYC Chinatown has the best food for good prices. When I first came to NYC, I was addicted to dim sum. I think I’ve tried all dim sum restaurants in Chinatown.
How can people support you and your business?
Come visit us in person! One way to support us is to try our ramen! I opened a noodle project called Ramen Usagi, which is open for lunch and late-night only, and can be ordered on Grubhub and Doordash.
Chinatown establishments like Rabbit House are what makes the spirit of our neighborhood. We need your support to keep that spirit alive. Please consider donating to The Longevity Fund, our small business relief fund, or help us spread the word of what’s at stake. Together, we can preserve Chinatown businesses and help keep Chinatown open for business.
Photo Credits: Cal Hsaio, Rabbit House
