The kitchen walls are covered in yellow tiles. The logo is yellow. When we asked chef-owner Neil Bentinck why, he said nothing special, just that yellow is a fun colour.
The name comes from sukoshi, a Japanese word meaning a small amount. It is a reasonable description of what arrives on the plate, and a deliberate one.
The room was full on the evening we visited. Older couples, young couples, families, people clearly celebrating something. What we did not spot was many tourists. That is usually a good sign. The open kitchen dominates, the tempo high, tickets stacking, dishes flying out. The service team moved fast but held control.
The menu splits between a handful of single-serve dishes and the rest designed to share. We ordered two pork fritters and four dishes between us. The kitchen has a clear flavour identity, a little spice and a lean towards Indian influences. It runs through the menu without feeling forced.
It was refreshing to eat somewhere that knows what it wants to be.
The lobster dumpling was a little cold and could have spent a moment longer in the pan. The chicken coating had gone a fraction too far. We still enjoyed both. The kitchen’s direction was clear enough that the small misses did not derail the evening.
Crispy Saddleback Pork Fritter – Gooseberry Ketchup
The wine list is short, well judged, and everything is available by the glass. Exactly what a restaurant like this needs. The handmade ceramic plates carrying the Skosh logo are a small detail, but a good one.
Spice Roast Quail – Fennel ‘Slaw – Mint – Tomato – Coriander
We will remember the service longer than the food, and we mean that as a compliment. Warm, genuine, and completely at ease in the room. No performance, no choreography.
We left happy.
Probably, if we are back in York next year.
Yes
