SKOSH

Chunky mixed forest mushroom soup is rich, creamy & aromatic with truffle oil; topped with crispy croutons..

Brownie is firm & moist but overly dense; with well-balanced chocolate & houjicha taste; topped with vanilla ice cream..

Finely shredded potatoes well-cooked to crispy outside & soft inside, drizzled with mentaiko & Japanese mayo sauce; topped with bonito flakes, nori & tempura crunch; didn't expect the ingredients paired well with the rosti; tad oily at the bottom; tastes as good as its sister cafe..

Grilled miso boneless chicken leg is tender & succulent, taste slightly bland with mild tinge of saltiness from miso; pasta is al-dente with distinct garlic taste, mild spicy; topped with tempura crunch, nori & bonito flakes..

Grilled salmon hash sat on top a layer of smashed avocado & yuzu ocha-infused mixed grains; salmon hash is thick & lightly seasoned; smashed avocado add some creaminess with tinge of lemon zest; love the mixed grains which came with distinct yuzu taste which balance out the taste; topped with cherry tomatoes, edamame, bonito flakes, nori & furikake; worth a try..

Wildfire Burgers is a concept that has been around for a while in its current iteration — the brand name having originated from a different management with the locations at Evans Lodge and 313@somerset, though subsequently resurrected after a hiatus of a couple of years with the first outlet situated at NAFA, and locations such as that of Robertson Walk and Keppel subsequently after that. It seems that the Wildfire name is heading for bigger plans in the near future — the Keppel location having revamped as a new location named Southside in the later part of 2023, while the NAFA outlet is home to another revamped concept under the SKOSH branding; this in view of the consolidation of Wildfire Burgers at a single location at their Robertson Walk as a flagship outlet. Being an entirely new concept at heart, SKOSH describes themselves as a concept that “blends modern casual dishes with a pinch of Japanese influence”. Considering how quickly the establishment has flipped from its Wildfire Burgers branding to SKOSH, there seems to be minimal changes done to the space that reflects this change of concept — apart from the change of signages, SKOSH has changed the dining furniture to one that features elements of white and brighter wooden accents that attempts to draw the establishment closer to its modern Japanese fusion themes; that being said, most fixed fittings that had been installed by Wildfire Burgers have remained intact despite the change of concept. The food menu at SKOSH is segregated into sections comprising of Starters, Ochazuke, Donburi, Pasta and Rosti, while the dessert offerings are split into sections such as Cake (comprising of sliced and whole cakes), as well as Dessert (mainly focuses on brownies and mochi gelato). Beverages available at SKOSH includes espresso-based specialty coffee, Ocha Latte, Tea, Chocolate, canned drinks and a small variety of liquor.

Skimming through the menu on the variety of the dishes that they have to offer, the line-up of Ochazuke dishes does seem to be one that is particularly prominent against the other categories on the menu — perhaps this is due to the fact that Donburi, Pasta and Rosti offerings a little more of a common find than that of Ochazuke dishes in the local context to say the least. SKOSH offers three different types of Ochazuke dishes here — mainly the same base item that features different types of meat / seafood options for patrons to choose from; we found ourselves going for the Grilled Salmon Ochazuke. The menu at SKOSH describes the Grilled Salmon Ochazuke to come with elements such as Grilled Norwegian Salmon with Yuzu salt, Ikura, Shimeiji mushrooms, chives , Furikake, roasted sesame seeds, Japanese rice, barley, chives with Shio Koji Dashi broth that is being served in a jug on the side. The correct way to enjoy the Grilled Salmon Ochazuke is to pour the Shio Koji Dashi broth into the bowl comprising of all the other elements — one particularly evident element of fusion in their version is the inclusion of barley which is not typically an element found in the classic Japanese Ochazuke dish.

Giving the Grilled Salmon Ochazuke a go after pouring in the Shio Koji Dashi broth, we liked how the Shio Koji Dashi gave the entire dish a lightly umami and sweet undertone that compliments the earthy and bouncy Shimeiji mushrooms particularly well. We suspect the sweetness from the Shio Koji Dashi broth does come from the Goji berry that have been included in it — therefore creating another dimension of flavours to be brought on to the dish just by the broth itself. Considering how the Japanese rice comes mixed with barley here, the Grilled Salmon Ochazuke does carry quite a bouncy texture with a good bite that makes it slightly more appealing than most Ochazuke that we have had that came with a flatter texture overall from the Japanese rice having absorbed and soaking up the broth — quite a difference in terms of texture. That being said, we were a little confused about why the dish did come with a slab of salmon that is grilled; the grilling does seem a little unnecessary considering how it will eventually get soaked up in broth, though we did also reckon that it might have been done to ensure that the slab of salmon maintains a bit of firmness to the bite. The grilled salmon also comes dressed with Mentaiko mayo that adds on to the umami flavours going on in the entire dish. Overall, a pretty tasty and flavoursome dish despite being one that looked a little plain — there was quite a fair bit going on in terms of flavours and texture that made this as wholesome and hearty as it could be.

Other items that we had tried included the Miso Yuzu Glazed Eggplant that essentially comprised of soft, glazed eggplant slices infused with Yuzu for a slight tang, while a miso paste that is also infused with Yuzu comes along the side that one can mop up using the eggplant slices; the miso paste adding a hint of earthiness that balances everything out — think of this as their version of the classic Japanese Nasu no Miso Dengaku (i.e. Miso Glazed Eggplant). There is also the Okonomiyaki Rosti meanwhile features a well-executed Rosti base that features shredded potatoes with toppings conmonly found in Okonomiyaki such as Bonito flakes, shredded seaweed, Okonomi sauce, Kewpie mayo and tempura crunch to recreate the sweet, tangy and umami notes of Okonomiyaki with the Rosti that comes crisp without being greasy nor with any undesirable stench of overused oil. Truth to be told, we did find SKOSH to be quite of an odd concept — no doubt the food turned out to be pretty decent with some really interesting ideas at play; that being said, the name of the establishment just does not seemed to provide any hint of what type of food it serves. There are also no obvious indications from outside of the establishments about its food items; the only clues would be from the menu board located at the stand located near the entrance. The sort of fare that it serves up does also seemingly feel a little disassociated from what is usually more commonly found and popular within the neighbourhood that it is situated in. Price points of the main dishes at SKOSH ranges from $12++ to $26++; the lowest priced item being the Tofu Ochazuke, while the priciest item would be the Rosti with Wagyu Steak — mid-priced though not unexpected for an establishment of its nature. There does seem to be some challenges in the way for SKOSH, though this is one spot that which we think is worth giving a shot if one is in the area around town for the curious.