Boka
“Get the watermelon soju, it comes in a carved out watermelon and is not only adorable, but tastes great.”
“You gotta love this place – it's probably one of the cheapest place to get Bon Chon chicken in Manhattan.”
“Thanks other Yelpers for the great suggestions – we ended up splitting some soy garlic wings and the sweet potato fries.”
Boka
Takes Reservations: Yes
Delivery: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Caters: Yes
PokéStop Nearby: Yes
Price range.
$$ Price range $11-30
8 reviews
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Boka is your typical Korean gastropub – okay food, weak watermelon soju, crowds, and you come out smelling like Korean food. The only difference is that Boka is in the East Village, and not K-town.
I met a few friends here on a Friday night. We were seated in one of the out coves. I'm not sure if it was just this section or everywhere in the restaurant in general, but it was pretty difficult getting a waiter's attention. They rarely check on you.
If you're in St. Mark's and you're craving some Korean-style chicken wings, then Boka is an okay option. Otherwise, just head to K-town instead.
Stopped in mid-afternoon for a snack. Thanks other Yelpers for the great suggestions – we ended up splitting some soy garlic wings and the sweet potato fries. And really, that's ALL you need.
The wings have that amazing crispy outside you'd expect with the Korean-style fried chicken and the inside was plump and juicy.
The sweet potato fries are perfection. I'd actually put these on my top five of all times. Thin, crispy, all the way down to the last one in the bowl. Mind you, this is a BIG bowl than what you might expect so make sure to split with others!
We tried their rain drop cake. Eh. It was ok – reminds me a lot of Asian gelatin consistency and fairly flavorless. Definitely get the lychee flavor one if you do (not the original). What's interesting is that it's served with like a sweet sauce and mochi powder on the side – make sure to get a little bit of everything in each bite.
Nice staff. Cool ambience.
Offers average Korean food at best. All the usual menu items you would find in Ktown. We stopped by for late bites, not too crowded. I was excited about their extensive sake cocktails list until we actually tried our drinks. Where in the world is the alcohol? Sip after sip all I got was a diluted drink that could've easily passed for a mocktail. It was also way too stuffy and hot inside for night time. There's one AC unit visible up front, but it's like the rest of us seated in the back have to suffer through our meal.
Boka is my go-to place when my friends and I either can't decide on a place or don't want to wait at another place. Boka usually doesn't disappoint. Been here countless times and it has been solid whether it be for dinner or a late night meal. From their fried chicken to watermelon soju, all a must. I've tried seafood pancakes, bulgogi, japchae and many more here. Even tried their kimbobs. Their watermelon soju is good to share with a few friends if you want something to just sip on besides water. It can get really busy sometimes but usually get seated pretty quickly. It's one of the few places that I don't mind keep going back to eat.
This place is super easy to miss since it's below street level. I'm pretty sure I walked past it like 3 times before I found it. We got spicy pork buns and a half & half combo, which were all good. Their wings are comparable to Bonchon's – pretty standard Korean fried chicken. The spicy wings had a decent amount of heat. I ordered a cocktail but I guess the waiter forgot about it (or forgot to tell the bartender about it) despite checking my ID and everything. It wasn't a huge deal and I just told them to take it off our bill since I decided that I didn't really feel like drinking anyway. Other than that the service was pretty good, and it wasn't that crowded when I was there (on a Tuesday) so the chicken didn't take too long and our water was refilled regularly. I guess there isn't really much that makes Boka stand out from other KFC places (like in Ktown and Flushing), but it's still a solid place nonetheless.
Been coming here for who knows how long. The routine was simple: pitchers of beer and soju and karaoke at Sing Sing, then get some late-night Korean fried chicken at Boka. A pretty unbeatable combination in your early 20s. Unfortunately, not the most sustainable from a health perspective, especially now that my body can't quite keep up with that sort of lifestyle, ha.
However, I always have a good time at Boka, despite the crazily-slow paced waitstaff. You might have to wait a long time to get your order in, get drink refills, or get your check at the end of the meal, but I'd say most patrons are a little too boozed up to care. Onto the food. The Korean fried chicken is consistently pretty well-made here. The fried skin is crispy, always comes out hot, and the portions are decent. I always go for the soy garlic and not their spicy coating, even though I do typically like spicy food, mostly because I just like the soy garlic flavor better. I'm also a big fan of the kimchi pancakes and japchae (clear potato noodles), which I've always enjoyed every time I've been at Boka.
As I mentioned, service here is pretty spotty, especially depending on where you're sitting. If you seat in the glass-enclosed back area, it can be very hard to wave down the waitstaff. It's as if the glass makes you invisible to them, ha. Also, it's possible that the waitstaff doesn't speak very fluent English, so you'll just have to be a little more patient with your orders. Not really a pro or a con, just something to be aware of. The prices are very reasonable, especially if you split a Large order of fried chicken among 3 or 4 friends. The rice bowls are also a good, cheap way to fill up after you've been drinking.
I probably wouldn't come out of my way to come here, but if I'm in the area looking for a decently-priced, satisfying meal, Boka ain't a bad choice.
Although I love korean fried chicken, I still think that they are overly priced. I've been here a few times and I noticed they tend to throw in a very tiny drum as a replacement for the wings…as if the wings are not small enough already. That should have been a freebie. I can't really take spicy so I always get the soy garlic. It can be a bit salty, but it's something about that mix garlic and soy that makes me want to keep shoving another piece into my mouth. I love how crispy the skin is. So crispy you can see a crumb flying away when you take a bite into it. (****)
I had the bibimbob meat flavored and for the most part it was on the cold end. The portion was a bit small. I also had the kimchi steak with egg and it was super hot since it came on a wooden steak plate. The steak was very chewy. I think the rice is a bit dried and needs a little sauce to go with it. (***)
The service was quick and they were very polite. The bathroom needs a little more attention because it was pretty digusting. I can see the dirty marks around the toilet rim. There was also no paper towels. (**)
Like many Korean fried chicken spots, be prepared to wait for your wings. But our wait was a little on the extreme end at 45 min. However, I'm willing to give the benefit of the doubt since we were there at 11pm closer to closing time.
In any case, we ordered the soy garlic wings. A lot of garlic. A bit too saucy. A bit too greasy. They were very tasty. But after going to Turntable the night before who made their wings perfectly, it's hard to lower expectations. Ultimately, you'll satisfy your craving for soy garlic Korean fried chicken here but if you want a stronger mastery of how the nuances of Korean fried chicken are made, maybe try another spot.