This new casual restaurant in midtown specializing in bowl-based cuisine shows up to impress.
Boketto is a brand-new restaurant specializing in Asian street fare that just opened a few blocks North of Koreatown. With another location in Miami, this casual chain offers Asian-inspired, bowl-based cuisine, as well as shareable plates and signature beverages.
To celebrate National Eat Your Noodles Day on March 11th, the eatery hosted a week-long $5 noodle bowl special through March 13th. Although the word “boketto” translates to “lost in thought,” I was definitely lost in noodles after trying one of their delicious bowls.
Following a “BYB”—build your bowl—serving format, customers pick a base, meat, veggie, then up to five toppings, and a sauce.
For their traditional rice bowl, there were four bases to choose from: quinoa, sushi rice, forbidden black rice, or mixed greens. For the noodle bowl, the options consist of either rice noodles or egg noodles.
Regarding proteins, they have over twelve options, from grilled salmon, to crab salad, to ginger chicken, to yakiniku steak, and tofulele.
Next in line are over twenty-one topping possibilities to add to your wonderful creation, including masago, avocado, seaweed salad, red onions, kimchi, and pickled ginger. Customers can then pick an additional crunchy topping: black or white sesame seeds, chia seeds, or crispy onions.
Last, one must make the crucial decision of which sauce they want to enjoy with their delicacy. There’s the spicy “hot mama” sauce, as well as eel, ginger, and traditional ahi flavors, among eight other sauce choices.
For my own bowl, I opted to get egg noodles with tofu and broccoli. I chose three toppings of pineapple, scallions, and black sesames seeds, covered in a tempting teriyaki sauce. It resulted in a perfect lunch—the noodles were al dente, the tofu was tender, and my toppings blended together for a sweet but savory taste that I will daydream about for a while. My only complaint is that I wish they’d had more vegetable options to choose from, as broccoli and bok choy were the only options that day.
Regardless, I was satiated after finishing my bowl in a total of four minutes, if that, and I loved the calming environment that Boketto presented. The ambiance of the entire place was lovely—the lighting was bright, the music was soothing, and the whole vicinity appeared very clean. The servers were all very kind and the place wasn’t too busy at lunchtime, but hopefully that will change when word gets out of this restaurant’s remarkableness.
While I personally loved the casual environment and didn’t feel ashamed to be enjoying my lunch at a table for one, this joint is a great option for both dine in and take out. It’s quick enough to grab a bite before heading back to your job, but the servings are large enough to enjoy over deep conversation.
Overall, the bowl was absolutely delicious, the service was delightful, and Boketto is an eatery for any occasion. Without a doubt, I would recommend bearing the daunting 20-minute ride to midtown to try this fabulous restaurant.