It was after a dessert treat at Obsessive Chocolat Desire (OCD) Ice Cream Café at Jalan Besar, then I realised there was ANOTHER NEW eatery at 134 Jalan Besar.

Kushiboy joins Phat Chic Forever, Prince Noodles 王子面, Sweets Craftsman, and For The People as hot openings at the same Jalan Besar area – an emerging and upcoming stretch for foodies.

This is a Japanese bistro specializing in donburi, Japanese-themed sides and drinks.

Some background of this place: the owners who are ex-banker Bryan Lim (now head chef) and ex-tech sales manager Gabriel Woon (now bartender), are also the hostel operators of K2 Guesthouse Central.

They have converted the first level of the hostel into this restaurant, to pivot out of COVID-19 and to cater to increasing demand for food.

The one thing that I noticed about the menu is affordability, plus there is no further service charge and GST for now.

Signature items include Asari Clams ($11), Unagi Don Large ($14.90), Mayo Karaage Don ($13.90), Chicken Yaki Don ($14.90), Curry Ebi Don ($14.90), Eihire flamed-torched stingray fin ($9) and Large Pacific Oysters ($2 each).

There were also bar bites of Original Wings ($10 for 5 pcs), Hot Drumlets ($10 for 5 pcs), Honey Wings ($10 for 6 pc), Japanese Nuggets ($8) and Shishamo ($10).

Talking about pricing, the donburi bowls are also available in mini versions, with a Mayo Karaage Don at $9.90 Nett. (This reminded me of Sora Boru.)

In a bid to cut down on carbs, I also didn’t quite mind the smaller bowls with less amount of rice and decent portion of meat. But a hungry person would probably need to consume two to feel adequately full.

The mini Curry Ebi Don ($10.90) was my preferred choice as you get a mixture of savoury-spicy curry and certain sweetness from another sauce in the rice. The deep-fried tempura prawns were also decently-crispy.

Comparatively, the Mayo Karaage Don ($9.90) had less surprises – it was what it was, but at least there was an onsen egg to break the monotony of rice and fried chicken.

The Asari Clams ($11) with garlic, chili and sake was probably modified to suit the local tastebuds, with conspicuous amounts of garlic (I didn’t quite mind that).

Though the chilli padi could have been lessened, as the spiciness overpowered the fragrance of sake in the sauce.

Kushiboy has a lovely ambience and inexpensive pricing. Having just started out, I feel they can more adventurous and expansive when it comes to food offerings, perhaps having one or two bowls with their unique brand.

Kushiboy くしやき少年
134 Jalan Besar, Singapore 208852
Opening Hours: 4pm – 10:30pm (Tues – Sun), Closed Mon

Other Related Entries
Sora Boru (313@somerset)
SUKIYA (Suntec City)
Kogane Yama (Bugis Junction)
Donburi-Ya (CityLink Mall)
Nozomi by Yoshi (Millenia Walk)

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