Wowee wowee!! I haven’t been so excited about a dining experience since Michael Mina in Vegas last month! The four of us came here to celebrate post wedding – this place came highly recommended by Michelle E. and man, was she ever right!!

Upon making a reservation, I did ask them to note that we were celebrating our marriage and would be eating with my brother and his wife. I think they took note of this because we received THREE amazing dishes on the house!!

First off, the service is EXCELLENT – Our waiter, Robby was super attentive. Each time you get out of your seat, you get a new napkin, pronto.

The Manager, I believe is Matt – (dark haired, not so tall guy with a black suit and tie on) was a perfectionist and SO friendly. You can tell that he will not let you walk away until you are 100% satisfied!!!

Here goes nothing:

Kumamoto Oyster – I’m a sucker for this sweet and tiny oyster. they served me an oyster that was perfect – it had a deep cup-like shell holding a perfectly plump little oyster that was so fresh – and sprinkled with a little kick! Nothing like cocktail sauce was used to ruin this bad bay….

Hamachi – Beautifully presented on a plate of green art, drizzled with cilantro oil and topped with crispy chips – all the textures of soft and crispy, sweet and mild, somewhat tangy, all came together like the colors of a kaleidescope inside my mouth – separate but together.

Big Eyed Tuna served rare and with a quail egg – I think of all the dishes we tried, this was the BEST – the presentation again was superb, with different kinds of dishes used on our table to offer a playful look. I can’t even describe how good this was – you just have to try it

Smoked Octopus with mussels – this was my brother’s dish so I didn’t want to attack his food too much. I skipped the mussels, but the octopus was pefectly smoked – the texture was like “al dente” soft yet crunchy to the touch – it didn’t need anything else to add to the flavor – it seemed as though the smoke and natural brine of the octopus was perfectly enhanced.

Butternut squash soup – ok, personally, I think $14 for butternut squash soup is insane and I didn’t try this dish at all, but sis-in-law gave it a 3-star.

Diver Scallops (freebie) MAN WAS THIS GOOD! I love seared scallops just by themselve, but when you top them off with yummy goodness sauce, even better! These scallops were SO fresh – so sweet and tender. Cooked with a gorgeous brown and crispy exterior and on the inside, milky and translucent – just the way I like them.

Stuffed Squid (freebie) OMG this was also pretty darn incredible. The presentation alone will make you wanna dance! Four baby squids was split into pockets containing baby spinach and splashes of tangy grapefruit juice. The sensations penetrating my salivary gland were almost orgasmic. The dish was prepared with squid ink tapioca which looked like black caviar. I was surprised at how much flavor these little things had!

Pistaccio encrusted Mahi Mahi served with Kobe Beef – Unfortunately, I think this entire dish was forgettable. The mahi mahi was cooked through but didn’t taste overcooked – it was good, but I wasn’t blown away. The kobe beef was wrapped in a crispy skin – also forgettable. Maybe when I think of short ribs, I wanna see a full piece of short ribs like at a korean restaurant where I can eat if off the bone. It was good, but you won’t see me craving it like the other dishes above.

Pork Belly – Flavors were delicious. I loved the presentation – colorful! I’m used to pork belly braised the Chinese way where it is tender, soft and fatty – the way it was prepare here was different. I enjoyed it. It was crispy on the outside and mostly tender on the inside. LIke a giant slab of bacon that has been smoked then tossed in a pan ful of oil to crisp.

Trout Done Two Ways (freebie) was served two ways, on a bed of brussel sprouts puree (I love brussel sprouts!!) This was a very good dish, but I thought it was a little over cooked – oh well, it was FREE and still VERY good!! One trout filet was pan fried and the other was topped with puffed rice which offered a generous smoky flavor. I enjoyed the crispiness of the fish with more crispiness of another kind on top of it.

After the main part of our meal was served, we were talking to the manager discussing some seasonal ingredients. He mentioned a vegetable described as “Chinese Artichokes” – I said that I had never heard of such a thing and we went back into the kitchen and brought us out a sample which was large enough to share. They are called “crosnes” (pronouced crones) and what a strange vegetable! never had anything like it. It had the flavor of very mild onions but the texture of uncooked potatoes.

Overall food was excellent – a solid 4.5 stars and I can’t wait to go back! The Chef Guiseppe even game out to greet us and made sure we were ok! I really can’t wait to go back again!

-Vivian

Neighborhood: Lincoln Park
1729 N Halsted St
(between Concord Pl & Willow St)
Chicago, IL 60614
(312) 337-6070
www.bokachicago.com

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