koku culture cafe

small place so you might have to wait but so worth it. food is delicious!!
i’ve been happy with all the dishes i’ve tried
must try!!

wow... must admit i wasn’t convinced by the reviews but boy, i have to say i was very very surprised- in a good way!

the menu is extremely creative mixing all sorts of flavours to serve a perfect blend of umami!

my personal favourite is the omelette w okonomiyaki sauce, smothered with bonito flakes!

kids love the matcha brûlée and the wife was impressed with the chicken burger with rice sandwich in siracha mayo sauce. even the fries accompanying the burger was perfectly done!!

what else to round up the meal? a nice cup of matcha or roasted tea latte!! hot choc isn’t half bad either.

what else to top that further? the price- super value for money!! don’t be out off by the wait time cause the place is rather small, persevere and your tongue 👅 will thank you for it!!

wasnt a memorable feed. the matcha pancake and matcha latte were both lacking actual matcha flavour. they probably dont use quality matcha powder, as you can tell it’s pretty green yet the matcha flavour is not really there. the pancake was nicely brûlée’d and i enjoyed the tartness of the cream.
unfortunately the rice burger didnt hit the spot for me. the rice wasnt crispy enough and it was overall just an average dish. better off going to gojima for a tasty rice burger.
probably wont go out of my way to dine here, but if im in the area and wanting brunch food it would be an option.

i went to koku culture cafe with my dad for lunch and it was spectacular. we had to wait 5 minutes for a space, and were then shown inside to a small but comfortable table. the decor was lovely and the service was prompt - our coffees arrived very quickly, and our meals came not long after.
the wok-fried okonomiyaki eggs were delicious, and a very unique fusion of japanese cuisine and standard cafe fare. the matcha brûlée pancake was exquisite - the pancake itself was the perfect consistency, and the custard and sugar crust were delicious as well. the pancake came with seasonal fruit, honeycomb, and yuzu sour cream which paired perfectly with the flavours.
the portion sizes were very good for the reasonable prices, and the meals were incredibly filling (i could only eat half of the pancake). the staff were friendly and helpful, and koku culture was all in all one of the best cafes i have been to in sydney. its small size and lowbrow location allow for delicious food at very reasonable prices, and i will certainly be coming here again.

if you breakdown the dishes, the menu is what you would typically find for brunch but with a jap twist, some unique and some you could find at other brunch places.

this place didn't give me a really heavy brunch stomach or super dry mouth from excess salt but was still flavourful. for me that means the execution was done well so that's a tick in my books.

7.5/10

1) wok fried eggs - my rec - not an actual okonomiyaki but a unique deconstruction of the dish and the flavours from the sauce will remind you of it. it came with 3 slices of bacon (yes 3 should be the minimum).

2) japanese style fritters - i guarantee you won't find a better fritter that's fried and perfectly crisp. the flavours are simple but the dish was definitely cooked perfectly

3) torched salmon fillet - my rec - my bf took a bite of the salmon and immediately got excited for me to try it. his reaction was justified, no words to describe how absolutely tender it was. again, simple flavours but well executed

4) seared wagyu beef - i take for granted that i've eaten a fair amount of wagyu beef because the dish tasted and was cooked like i expected. good but not mind blowing

5) twice cooked pork belly - the same thing with the wagyu, the pork was cooked very well and tasted like how i expect it to taste. i loved the sweet soy dressing for the cabbage salad and the quinoa which wasn't too sweet or too salty

6) grilled chicken crispy rice burger - my rec - chips are chips (not a complaint because i love classic fries). gojima does a better made rice burger but the tender chicken and the sauce beats gojima

7) brulee matcha pancakes - the top was a really sweet custard and the matcha wasn't strong enough for me (i don't kid around with matcha 😂), it was served with a yuzu cream to make it even more light and refreshing. for a matcha pancake it's as fluffy as it will get but it's not the fluffiest pancake out there.

amazing japanese fusion breakfast. we bought the matcha pancakes and two specials; the shiitake rice stuffed squid and the king salmon fish cakes. so impressed with the presentation and flavour. and the creativity! five star food, hands down.

i've ordered from koku at least once a fortnight for the past 6 months (i might be addicted to green tea lattes) and they have never disappointed! everything is always fresh and delicious and the staff are incredibly friendly.

i had the wok fried eggs for brunch and they were just amazing. lots of unusual breakfast options. we will be coming back for more.

great combination of interesting and unique flavours. you can tell the chef has thoughtfully crafted each dish. we tried the eel rice burger and the ox tongue, both on the special menu! get in early as there is always a line and special dishes sell out quite quickly.

a cosy cafe with great food. loved the seared wagyu beef and salmon soba dishes. keen to return and try the brûlée matcha pancake.

matcha brulee pancake was one of the best desserts i've tasted 😍 the confit salmon was very tasty and was complimented very well by the puree. the fritters were alright, but were a little too oily and there wasn't enough flavour/variety.

overall koku culture had become one of my new fave cafes in sydney! mostly influenced by its delicious desserts 😋

what a find in the suburb of ashfield. eating at koku culture cafe you would think you were in surry hills. the chef is ex-lotus and the food is pretty special. i would describe it as japanese/fusion and completely yummy. the highlight was the twice cooked pork belly (pictured) and i will definitely be back! #kokuculture

we love fusion brunch menus to change things up every once in a while and are willing to travel to various sydney neighbourhoods to get our fix – like at the unassuming koku culture on ashfield’s high street, which dishes up some of the best japanese fusion that we’ve had at brunchtime.

koku culture cafe is located at the far end of the ashfield shopping strip towards the junction to croydon. this little japanese cafe is always very busy... and i think we know why!. coffee by single o. while you wait, you might want to order the coffee that they are serving. ice cream and honey on toast - $8

cheese burger and fries were good, however there was nothing special about the popular dish of salmon fillet and cold soba noodles. the iced matcha and hojicha shakes were the main problem - both had absolutely no flavour at all. service was slow, the drinks took a while to arrive after ordering.