BOKA

I am officially that girl that is always taking pictures of my food. In this case, it was a little embarrassing because it was so dim and we had to turn the flash on! Anyway- here are pictures of Nathan's meal at Boka.

Nathan took me to the very popular award winning Boka for Chicago restaurant week and our pre-Valentines Day. Restaurant week, for those of you who do not know, is a week where many local dining establishments offer a 3 or 4 course dinner for a flat-rate price. Basically, it was established to encourage economic growth in big cities (or small foodie towns) around America during the coldest months of the year. Those who work at restaurants usually loathe its arrival because it invites people who do not eat out a lot to restaurants that they usually cannot afford and they do not behave or tip well. Its also simply exhausting. That being said, I was not working in the industry a few weeks ago to remind me of these negative emotions. And obviously, we are lovers of fine food on a small budget, so it was a perfect opportunity for us to eat at Boka. 

Boka serves contemporary American cuisine with an emphasis on local organic ingredients. We arrived to a warm welcome, the host was very nice and the atmosphere was very simple and modern. The service was spot on- attentive but not overly involved in our meal. The focaccia bread that first arrived was fantastic- warm and salty (good bread is a good sign of what is ahead). For the first course, I had a Wild Mushroom Soup with Black Garlic Confit Chicken Thigh, Bok Choy, Shallot Marmalade, and a Parmesan Crisp. Nathan had Seared Diver Scallops with Bamboo Rice, Cello Spinach,  Pickled Buddha’s Hand, and Curried Celery Root. My mushroom soup was fabulous and Nathan's scallops were to die for. (I was shocked they had scallops on the menu because they are usually rather expensive). For my entree, I ordered the Celery Root Cannelloni with Broccolini, Hand Dipped Ricotta, Portabellas, Crosnes (Chinese Artichokes), Golden Beets, and Aged Balsamic. I was a little disappointed in this one- there seems like a lot going on (a lot of ingredients) but it was a little bland and boring to me. Nathan once again made the right choice and ordered the Faroe Island Salmon with Seafood dumpling, Sweet Potato Sauce, and a Broccoli Hash. We both got the Black Cardamom Carrot Cake with Orange Sorbet for dessert. This was my favorite part of the meal and am usually not a big dessert eater. 

In conclusion, it was a really nice dining experience. I imagine food from the normal menu is even better ( that is usually the case.) Restaurants like Boka inspire me- if you ever get the opportunity to dine here- do it!