SKOSH Review: New Japanese Cafe With Mains Under $25 Near Bencoolen MRT

SKOSH is a new Japanese-inspired cafe in Bencoolen

Recently, more Japanese cafes in Singapore have introduced a unique twist to the regular Western brunch fare. For fans of places such as Hello Arigato and Cafe Natsu, here’s another new cafe for you to check out: SKOSH, a minimalist Japanese-inspired cafe located at Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA). 

Food at SKOSH

The first starter we tried was the Mentaiko Tater Tots ($12), which is another variation of her well-loved sibling—mentaiko fries. These tater tots were the perfect pairing with the tangy and creamy mentaiko sauce, with the roe adding a layer of crunch to the fried potato gems.

It was hard to go wrong with such a classic. However, this side paled in comparison to the other unique, lesser-seen starters on the menu, which I will get into soon.

Next, we tried the Breakfast Onigiri ($8). Sweet tamago, a slice of luncheon meat, a thick hashbrown, and fluffy short-grain rice were enveloped in a thin nori. Given how the typical household staples were used to create this dish, I thought it was a simple appetiser at first glance. 

But there was something moreish about this, and I thought it was a simple yet versatile snack to munch on before the mains. 

The starter that stood out the most amongst the three that we ordered was the Truffle Shoyu Chicken Karaage ($14). The chicken was well coated in the savoury marinade, which hit me from the get-go: there was a strong umami flavour from the truffle and a distinct taste of shoyu. The chicken was also crisp and tender—what I look for in a good chicken karaage. 

On to the mains, I found the Chicken Katsu & Waffle ($24) interesting as this was the first time I’d seen a waffle paired with Japanese-style fried chicken. Chicken katsu is coated with panko breadcrumbs instead of just the usual flour batter used for fried chicken, giving it a far crispier texture. 

It consisted of a crispy chicken katsu cutlet atop a sweet waffle, finished with a fried sunny-side up. This was a classic sweet and savoury decadence that I’m sure fans of the flavour combination will enjoy. 

The chicken was thick and crispy, pairing well with the sweet components of the dish, namely the waffle and drizzle. If you thought this sounded a tad too cloying, worry not as the maple syrup served on the side was infused with yuzu, which gave it a citrusy flavour that offset the sweetness. Personally, I find maple syrup to be a crucial addition to waffles, so I really enjoyed it!

Here’s a tip: we recommend just dipping the waffle and chicken into the syrup instead of drizzling it all over for better control of how sweet you want the dish to be.

Moving on, the Salmon Avocado Stack ($22) was a dish that sounded intriguing. I was familiar with the salmon avocado rice bowl, but a stacked version was a first!

The presentation of the dish was gorgeous. I recall calling this a “giant piece of sushi” with the way it was neatly stacked: a bed of rice topped with smashed avocado, salmon chunks, and finished with bonito flakes on top. 

As expected, the avocado, rice, and salmon combination was delicious. I did find it slightly hard to finish it by myself, though, as I found it a little jelak towards the end. However, the cherry tomatoes and edamame were a good addition, balancing out the heavy flavours.

Finally, the Okonomi-Rosti ($16) was a sweet marriage of two savoury pancake-like dishes: Japanese okonomiyaki and Swiss rosti. I was a little uncertain about this combination, but it turned out to be a great match.

This potato pancake, usually eaten with sour cream, was instead paired with sweet okonomiyaki sauce and bonito flakes. The crispy rosti soaked up the flavours of the okonomiyaki sauce.

I would even go as far as to say that I preferred this rosti to the usual okonomiyaki ingredients—wheat flour batter and cabbage—or maybe it’s just my biased opinion as a potato lover. 

Matcha is a must at any Japanese cafe, so we got the Iced Uji Matcha Latte ($8) to see how it fared. FYI, we topped up an additional $1 for oat milk. Although the matcha fell slightly flat in terms of intensity, it was, thankfully, not overly grassy.

Ambience at SKOSH

The cafe is reminiscent of a typical Japandi-themed space: simple, minimalist, and adorned with light-coloured wooden furniture. It’s a three-minute walk from Bencoolen MRT station and in the vicinity of Rochor and Dhoby Ghaut MRT stations. 

We arrived just before the lunch crowd thickened on a weekday, so it was relatively quiet. But during lunch hours, the cafe’s 50-person seating capacity filled up quickly, so we recommend coming in earlier if you are aiming for a seat. 

The verdict

We were pleasantly surprised by how extensive SKOSH’s menu is—there’s definitely a dish on the menu for everyone. The brunch menu, which we had ordered from, runs from 11am to 3pm on weekdays, as well as 10am to 3:30pm on weekends and public holidays. They also have a separate dinner menu that starts at 5pm daily.  

For other Japanese-inspired cafes, read our guide on the best Japanese cafes in Singapore. Alternatively, do also check out our guide on the best Dhoby Ghaut food places.

Address: 80 Bencoolen Street, #01-15, Singapore 189655
Opening hours: Daily 9am to 9pm
Tel: 8025 6578
Website
SKOSH is not a halal-certified eatery.

Photos taken by Marcus Neo.
This was a media tasting at SKOSH.