Boka - Chicago

Very good food and service!! Only reason I gave it a 4 wish portions were bigger!

We sat at the bar and our server/bartender Alexa was delightful. She made our experience exceptional! The food was delicious: we had the kampachi, gnudi and roasted chicken and all of the dishes were incredible. We cannot wait to go back to try the tasting menu.

TL;DR: If you have the money to spend and want to be adventurous, this is a good spot for you. If you're saving up for a special occasion and don't normally go to restaurants, skip this one and opt for an RPM or other place where the menu is predictable and you're sure to walk away with a satisfied palate. Pros: Lovely ambience. The restaurant had a lively feel and sitting at a two person table, I was able to hear 95% of what my coworker was saying and actually see the food I was eating. Cannot say the same for other high end restaurants where the music is too loud or lights dimly lit. This had a lovely vibe (albeit very, very small entrance area that would not be comfortable in the winter, summer is fine). Service was impeccable. Our server gave an air of expertise but also made us feel incredibly comfortable as if we were long time friends visiting him at his workplace. When our last dessert course left us with a sour taste, he brought us a banana chocolate creme that was much more satisfactory to end the night on. He even sent us home with several loaves of green tea bread so that we (and our significant others) could have some Boka taste to share. Very unique dishes and beautifully presented. We did the 8 course dining option with no alcohol pairing (opted for non spirit drinks instead). Cons: Food was 2/5 in my opinion. The meat dishes were overpowered by the salty sauce pairings. The desserts were unique, but ending the night on a rhubarb was far too sour. For such a highly rated restaurant, I really hoped to love every dish... but most of them I truly didn't care for. I was glad this was a work meal comped by my company, otherwise I would have been very disappointed to have spent the money out of pocket with my spouse or friend for a special occasion.

Wonderful time. The food was outstanding (best short rib and duck I’ve had) the waitstaff was also very attentive and made for a great experience.

We tried the tasting menu and it was amazing. My favorites were the hiramasa and the buckwheat porridge. However, there was nothing I didn’t like!