SKOSH

Prepare yourselves this is going to be a lengthy one!

Skosh has been on my list of places to go for such a long time, and I’ve finally visited! Skosh’s whole concept is based around the meaning of their name, ‘a small amount’ – serving (mind blowing) snacks and small plates. I wasn’t just looking forward to the food combinations but the experience too. And, after visiting just once, I can say it has been my favourite ever meal to date.

Skosh is located in York on Mickelgate Street, it’s tucked away from the hustle and bustle and I think it’s the perfect spot. It’s not a huge place but the interior and decor matches the brand, everything is really simple and there’s such a relaxed atmosphere too.

When I reserved the table a few weeks in advance (an absolute must), the tables that were left were open kitchen tables; the tables overlook the open plan kitchen and I think this added to our experience even more. Watching the chefs plate up the food was incredible, their precision was just insane. At one point we could see one of the chefs handpicking petals from various coloured flowers and precisionly placing them on the most aesthetically pleasing plate of food possible, was just something else. I added that I couldn’t have dairy when I reserved the table and as soon as I sat down I was given their dairy free menu which was bloody amazing!! I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to have much, but it turned out I could have pretty much everything from the normal menu, but obviously it was adapted. I wish more places did this!

We were recommended to order 3 dishes each and that they would send them out when they were ready, in the best order. We ordered 6 dishes, 5 dishes from the dairy free menu and my boyfriend (Jack) wanted to try a dish that wasn’t on the dairy free menu so he got that too and we shared everything else. Once we were finished we ended up ordering another 2 dishes but I would of happily ordered the rest of the menu, I just wanted to try it all.

The first dish, cauliflower vadai with curry leaf & mustard seed won me over with just one bite. I’m not usually much of a fan of cauliflower as it’s always so bland, but not this one! What I loved about it, it wasn’t just flourettes of cauliflower, it was blended or something I’m not sure but it made such a difference in taste and the texture, it was packed with flavour!

On to the next plate – crispy chilli beef rolls with oyster and yuzu cream. I don’t even know how to explain these rolls of goodness, usually beef flavoured things don’t really taste that ‘beefy’ but these had such a strong taste of beef encased in a crunchy crispy batter. I’ve never had yuzu cream before and it was perfect to dunk the rolls in.

East coast lobster – marinated kohlrabi, satay & watermelon, the presentation of this plate is my fave of them all. The different textures of this dish was what really made it, the texture and juiciness of the watermelon against the kohlrab which had a firm texture, then on top of that the swirls of satay and the crunch of peanuts, it was a party in the mouth! I don’t like satay or peanuts but with the lobster and the watermelon it was divine, I don’t think it would of worked as well without.

Chargrilled galician octopus tandoor with pickled gooseberry puree, and this might be my favourite dish of the evening! I’ve had octopus before but it’s always been really chewy and just unpleasant. But Skosh’s octopus was so tender! The puree was really zesty and fresh, it may not look as amazing as the rest of the plates but it was fantastic.

Jack got beef tartare caesar toast – artichoke tsukemono (not dairy free) and said it was his favourite dish of the night.

Crisp lamb belly with courgette, pickled onions and pomegranate, again another dish with amazing tasting concoctions, even the courgette was unbelievable. The lamb was really juicy and melt in the mouth but then it had the crispy outer layer, the pickled onions gave a surprise flavour and a kick with the lamb, as well as the pop and burst of juice from the pomegranate seeds it somehow made it quite refreshing to eat.

Hand dived scallop sashimi ‘pizza’, black truffle & togarashi spice. I don’t think I can explain this dish either, again the mix of textures, from the ‘pizza’ base to the soft scallops it just worked.

Jack got Skosh fried chicken, brown butter hollandaise (not dairy free), he said the chicken was really flavoursome, crunchy and juicy.

We were there for around 2 hours but the time flew by! I loved how each plate came in good timing, there wasn’t any point of the evening where we were sat waiting for the food to come and the service was fab. The evening cost around £90 for two people with drinks too, and for 8 small plates of absolutely mind blowing food, I’d happily pay more. The presentation of the dishes and the thought process behind the flavours is fascinating and it’s exactly why I love food, I can’t wait to return to try more! If you’re going to book I would recommend the open kitchen tables and booking a few weeks in advance.