Boka
Nothing Gold – Ketel One, Fernet-Branca, Cherry, Lime, Bitters / Bee’s Knees – Beefeater, Honey, Lemon
Asparagus Veloute with Aromatic Oils
Salted Pretzel Roll, Olive Loaf, House Churned Butter
Heirloom Carrots – pistachios, amaranth, smoked goat cheese
Foie Gras Terrine – gooseberries, hazelnuts, vadouvan, brioche
Ricotta Gnudi – hazelnuts, morcilla, raisins
Summer Squash & Tomato – burrata, pickled watermelon, sesame, olives
Salt Cod Ravioli – corn, arugula, radish
Roasted Peking Duck Breast – peach, celery root, fermented black beans
Seared Scallops – corn, morcilla, sea urchin broth
Roasted Chicken – fennel, radicchio, pistachio, brioche
Coffee & Mascarpone – Hazelnut, Elderflower, Honey
Roasted Peaches – Olive Oil Cake, Buttermilk, Pecan Ice Cream
Chocolate Ganache – Caramelized White Chocolate, Plum, Pistachio Ice Cream
Coconut Rice Pudding – Tres Leches, Lime, Cassis Sorbet
Peppermint Paddys
Missing out on Lee Wolen’s tenure at The Lobby due to Chicago traffic during my last visit I was absolutely thrilled when I heard the young chef had landed at Boka in early 2014, the longstanding resident of restaurant ‘to-do’ list immediately vaulting to ‘must visit’ status on the night before my sister’s big day. Known best, perhaps, as the restaurant next to Alinea but more than once nabbing a Michelin Star of its own under previous chefs our arrival at Boka was a surprisingly simple affair with both reservations and traffic proving far less a hassle than one would expect and seated on entry at a large four-top amidst an open dining room with amusing décor it was to professional yet playful service that our night would unfold – the four course tasting that followed featuring a dozen plates in which nary a flaw could be found. Truly someplace to explore, the restaurant itself featuring an entirely different experience in the dimly-lit bar as compared to the more organic main room, the same can certainly be said of Wolen’s late summer menu and with an opening volley of creamy soup followed by the first of many rounds of bread the a theme quickly emerged, each plate a colorful mélange of immaculate produce manipulated just enough to yield peak flavors while herbs and spices joined in to accent equally well executed proteins. Already having stated that each dish was excellent but choosing to focus on a few favorites the best bites of the meal were delivered in a duo of delicate pastas and as much as I loved the creamy brandade it was the soft gnudi that stole the show, each buttery morsel smoky from the blood sausage yet focused by underlying nuttiness while the raisins natural sweetness occasionally came to the fore. Obviously renowned for his chicken, the crisp skin reapplied to sous-vide breast with buttery cracker stuffing and equally impressive with caramelized scallops bathed in an umami-laden broth it was finally in a quartet of sweets that the evening would culminate and although each one was impressive in both concept and complexity the focus again fell squarely on flavors, the subtlety of creamy rice pudding acting to meld sweet cream to bright citrus particularly memorable though the southern-themed peaches and pralines was also brilliant, a light note of buttermilk keeping sweetness in check while the cake literally melted on the tongue.
RECOMMENDED: Every single item we ordered was nothing short of impressive, Chef Wolen showing a keen eye in pairing seasonal vegetation with perfectly prepared proteins while desserts, too, were quite strong.
AVOID: Missing Chef Wolen during this next-step of his career – the young man is undoubtedly likely to find a restaurant of his own someday soon.
TIP: Having mentioned the bar vs. the main dining room above, those sensitive to noise while dining are well advised to request a seat in the later – the same music playing throughout the space is approximately 3x louder in the more casual half of the restaurant, though the main menu is served throughout.
http://www.bokachicago.com/
