Since Tony Perez is out of town at the most anticipated culinary event in decades, there's no one to stop me from writing about this month's edition of Boke Bowl. The local pop-up restaurant—not to be confused with this—rotates at various locales one day per month.
The May edition of Boke Bowl is today at Yakuza, and while we couldn't snag a reservation, our party of five was able to get a table—after a short wait—during the start of their lunch rush. Ramen without chicken/pork broth is a true rarity, so we rejoiced when we noticed Boke's selections, including a rich seafood broth and a flavorful caramelized fennel (vegan) option. Our dining guests were fresh from a ramen-filled trip to Japan, and they declared Boke's pork and chicken broth to be on par with the finest bowls of noodles they had in Tokyo. So there.
In addition the lunch we slurped, we had some tasty steamed buns (there are pork and a vegetarian asparagus option) and the single greatest salad in recent memory. Compiled of warm cauliflower, arugula, asparagus, mango, tofu croutons, and a Thai vinaigrette—or, a bunch of ingredients I would never combine unless I was stoned and there was nothing left in the refrigerator—the salad was crisp without overwhelming us with its varied parts. The salad was the only item we reluctantly ordered, but it stole the show. (If there was a way to put that salad into a wearable feedbag, I'd wear it with pride.) There might also have been an order of Almond Joy "Boke Twinkies" at our table, but if I partook in something so gluttonous, I surely wouldn't admit to it here.
If you and your fellow Ramen junkies don't want to wait until June to get your Boke fix, they are at Yakuza until 7pm tonight. Walkups are welcome and while it might take a little wait, it's definitely worth it.
