Cafe Spotlight: Usa Cafe Lovelies うさカフェラヴリーズ
(formerly Usagi to Cafe--the storefront sign hasn't been changed 旧：うさぎとＣａｆｅ―店の看板はまだ変わっていない)
One of my favourite places in all of Towada: a wonderful little
bunny rabbit cafe! The owners are a lovely couple: the wife is friendly and talkative, while the husband (chef) is a little more reserved/shy but very nice.
The food is very tasty and wholesome, with healthy/reasonable portion sizes (just the right size--you won't feel stuffed after a meal, but you won't feel hungry either). There is no hourly fee; if the cafe isn't busy the owners will even encourage you to stay longer to play more with the rabbits!
Weekday early evenings are a good time to visit as the cafe is usually not too busy and the rabbits are particularly active around twilight. ("But rabbits are neither truly nocturnal nor diurnal. What they are is crepuscular, meaning they are most active in the twilight hours of early morning and evening, but can also be active during the day and night." - Small Pet Select, "
Are Rabbits Nocturnal?")
Rules for Playing with the Rabbits:
Remember, rabbits are living creatures and not toys, so please treat them with care!
- only one rabbit is allowed out at a time (except for the mother-daughter pair, Coco and Maasa(?) share a cage and are allowed to be out at the same time)
- if you would like to play with a specific rabbit, please ask one of the owners
- do not speak in an overly loud voice/make a sudden loud noise as this will scare the rabbits
- do not chase after the rabbits
- do not stand while holding a rabbit (rabbits have fragile bones, they may be injured if dropped from standing height)
- do not restrain a rabbit that clearly does not want to be held
- no flash photography
- do not feed the rabbits anything other than rabbit snacks (100yen)
- wear clothes you do not mind getting dirty while playing with rabbits
- wash your hands with soap after playing with the rabbits
Rabbit Introductions:
Due to space constraints, not all of the rabbits are out in the cafe at the same time, so if you come back after a few months you may see different rabbits.
Recommended Menu Items:
(Basically everything I've tried or seen ordered there so far...)
Daily Lunch Set* 850yen
日替わりランチセット (
higawari lunch set)
*Set comes with soup, coffee, and dessert (upgrade the coffee to a cappucino/cafe latte for 100yen; ask about substituting coffee for other drinks if you don't like coffee)
Beef Tendon Curry 680yen
牛すじカレー (
gyuu suji curry)
Omurice オムライス 680yen
Usually omurice is seasoned rice wrapped in an omelette, but this is made with sunny-side up eggs placed on top of the rice instead
Creme Brulee クレームブリュレ 580yen
Also available in a "mini" (regular?) size for 330yen
Hours: 11:00-20:00 (Lunch Hours: 11:00-15:00) Sunday-Monday; Closed Tuesdays, and the 2nd and 4th Wednesday each month
English/Picture Menu: n/a
Seating: Table (2 tables x 4 seats; 1 table x 2 seats (sofa)), and Counter (2 seats); Non-Smoking Environment
Good For: Solo Dining; Couples; Small Groups (children who can play quietly and gently with the rabbits are welcome; not the best place for energetic, exuberant children)
Reservations: Usually not necessary, but weekend afternoons are busy, so you may want to call ahead to see if seats are available
Phone: 080-9628-4465
Parking: Available (a couple of spots in front)
Address/Map:
50-25 Nishinijūsanbanchō (十和田市西二十三番町50‐25)
Towada, Aomori Prefecture 034-0089
