restaurant review: boka in chicago

Boka.

This most recent trip to Chicago had not been the epicurean delight Mr. Sazy Rock and I expected it to be. In addition to a disappointing meal at Tru, other restaurants we tried left us wanting more. The only ones we enjoyed were Weiner's Circle in Lincoln Park and Athena in Greek town. Luckily, our last meal in the City did not suck. Indeed, we were pleasantly surprised about our experience at Boka.

The Scene 

The scene.

I would describe this Michelin starred restaurant as casual high end in that the level of cooking was high but the dishes were served on a table without cloth.

When we arrived for our 7 pm reservation, the place was full and buzzy. Diners were dressed from business casual to downright casual - a gentleman on the table next to ours was wearing shorts. To be fair, he was the exception and not the rule.

The Food

The dishes were available a la carte, and we ordered a lot of food.

They served a pepito crab salad with crunchy pumpernickel and pea soup as an amuse bouche. All the ingredients tasted fresh. The crab was sweet and bright.

Pepito crab salad with pea soup.

We ordered three appetizers. The first was the smoked foie gras and tete de cochon. The foie was cold shaved and the head cheese was full of flavor. It was my least favorite of the appetizers.

Foie gras and tete de cochon.

The second appetizer was a poached egg. The egg was rich and creamy and the grains added a nice crunchy texture. The asparagus and beans also had a nice snap. 

Poached egg.

Poached egg.

The third appetizer was a spring garlic soup with crab. This was a standout dish. The crab was sweet and the soup was creamy with a subtle hint of garlic. It was so good that Mr. SR ordered it again for his dessert.

Garlic soup.

Garlic soup.

Our first main dish was the smoked trout. It was perfectly cooked. It was sweet and flaky.

Trout.

Our second main dish was the lobster. It was sweet with a nice snap. The sabayon sauce was creamy but not overly sweet. The morcilla (blood sausage) was rich, and the asparagus also had a nice snap.

Lobster.

We also ordered a third main dish that was a special for the evening - the scallops. They were perfectly cooked. The scallops had that Thai flavor due to the addition of lemongrass. It was a subtle flavor though and did not overpower the dish.

The scallop dish (it's under the mushroom).

The chocolate and hazelnut dessert was perfectly chocolatey, rich and decadent. I asked them to substitute out the coffee due to Mr. SR's allergy and they obliged. I loved it.

Chocolate and hazelnut dessert.

I really could not eat the petit fours - chocolate with strawberry and truffles - because I was too full.

Petit fours. Are those tonka beans?

I can't say that the above dishes made me go "wow." But, all the dishes were well executed, tasty and very enjoyable. Perhaps the least successful dishes were the bread and butter. But, I won't hold that against them. 

Bread and butter.

The Service

The Napkin Test.

Everyone we met were friendly, polite and helpful. Despite the casual nature of the restaurant, they passed Mr. SR's Napkin Test, where they folded his napkin when he went to the restroom. It was supposed to signal that the servers were looking after our table. And, they really were looking after our table. As I returned from the restroom, our server, who was headed my way, turned around towards my table so he could pull the table out and allow my big bum to get back on my seat against the wall.

The Price

The menu.

Dessert Menu.

It was not a cheap place but I thought the dishes were well priced. Given the quality of ingredients and the level of cooking, I thought it was well worth the price of admission. And, as a bonus, it was more than half the price of our meal at Tru.

The Verdict

I enjoyed my meal at Boka and recommend that you you check it out if you are in the city.

Where do you like to eat in Chicago?