The atmosphere is great! This is a great spot to get drinks. They are seThe customer service is pretty good. The parking is not that bad either. I have ate her twice, and both times I did not enjoy my entree. I ordered the honey chicken with fried rice. To be honest, it lacked flavor, both the rice and the chicken. The Brussels sprouts were good as well as the spring rolls and the crab rangoons. If I return, I would consider trying the Hong Kong ribs. read more

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I give the restaurant a 4, but I honestly felt like it deserves a 3.5. We were greeted by our hostess Priscilla, who was bubbly and super willing to answer all of my vegetarian- related questions. They have quite a few things on the menu that I can eat, so excited about that. I started off with a Thai Lemongrass margarita. The space was very inviting, there are multiple lucky cats along the wall as you enter, it gives me a hipster vibe. The music is upbeat. It was made just right. We started off with vegetarian spring rolls, which were not fried too hard, they were fried just right and were super light crispy and they came with a sweet, slightly spicy sauce. Something I would say, resembles the feeling of "sweet heat " I ordered the coconut curry. The sauce on it was well seasoned, not too thick . The noodles were undercooked, a little bit before al dente. I had to focus on chewing them. I wanted to try tofu dumplings, but they were unavailable, so I had the miso soup and I was pleasantly surprised. It was so flavorful, I have no complaints. I would come back 1000 times just to have the miso soup. I'm told the Berry domain is very berry and very strong... my sister was happy with her drink and ordered a second. read more

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This place has an amazing atmosphere. The decorations are amazing, and the vibes were great. The service was also amazing. They took the order of our group immediately, were very friendly and they gave us the food in a really short time. I received the food (I ordered the Char Siu Pork Noodles), and it looks amazing! However, the taste was a little disappointing. The broth didn't have flavor. The pork was seasoned, but it was tough. Also, the poached eggs were too salty. It was sad because the place was giving me high expectations. read more

Boku Kitchen + Saloon - Char Siu Pork - Pan Asian Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

Bright and modern pan-Asian restaurant with a bar. Great ambiance and atmosphere. The servers are attentive and kind every time. My absolute must orders are the tempura green beans and brussel sprouts. Amazing textures and flavors that I can't seem to find anywhere else. The drinks here are always fun. The lychee martini was very lychee forward and very delicious. The main entrees are wonderful with the exception of the char siu pork noodles. The dish has an off putting flavor that can't be described. It could be an acquired taste or it could just be an off day. Overall, this is a great spot for happy hour or dinner. I haven't been wowed by any entrees yet but I'd come back over and over for those brussel sprouts. A solid 4.3/5! read more

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Love the vibe even on a Monday! I will admit though that I've been back a few times since my check in and I loved every time more and more. I also switched up the food each visit; they are consistently delicious. As a tofu / vegetable lover, I enjoyed each dish though pardon me if the only one I can recall was the kimchi fried rice. It is on repeat in our household. The bartender was super friendly each time; he took his time to ask what I was in the mood for and probe for a flavor profile. He nailed every drink... especially the ones topped with SoJu! Those are his creations though so there's no name. Just go and let him make one for you! read more

Boku Kitchen + Saloon - Blood Orange & Mezcal mix - Pan Asian Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

This place is amazing! Customer service is second to none! The staff are extremely knowledgeable. The ambiance is up to par. read more

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Atmosphere was nice and I like the decorations. Food is not that great. No seasoning. Portions are small. Very overpriced food.

We dropped in a Monday night for dinner. They located downtown Columbia on Gervais St, they do have a few spots in the parking area close by. The outside and inside is very inviting, the decor is really cute. I loved the high seating areas behind the bar area, there is a beautiful mural on the wall. If your a mural junkie ( I am), you need to see this beauty! The bar is shaped really unique also. Definitely a place to jus hang out with friends or have a meet up. We got seated quickly, the staff was attentive during our visit. The menu was simple and not overwhelming. The bar menu had some great selections, I had the crescent moon, it was delicious. I had the pork potstickers and the Vietnamese rolls. My spouse had the sweet sour chicken with fried rice, I believe. All the food was fresh and hot when it came out. The food was banging with flavor, we really enjoyed our meals. I was kinda skeptical when reading the reviews, glad we went. Currently the owner is giving a free appetizer to visit his other restaurants in town. Its located at the bottom of your receipt. read more

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Such a fun New Year's Eve dinner at Boku. This was our first time there but it definitely won't be our last. We wanted to be sure and dine there before the grinch pop up was gone. Such a fun atmosphere and the menu was a real treat! I would come back for the Szechuan green beans! Delish! The lettuce wraps had good flavor, but we asked twice for fresh lettuce and it was unfortunately soggy and would have been perfect if we had crispy lettuce. We finished off our dinner with a snowflake shooter and it was the perfect ending to a great year and great dinner! read more

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Yes, yes, and yes! Idk what took me so long to try this place but I assumed I wouldn't like anything because I'm incredibly picky but WRONG! They exceeded my expectations. We can on a busy night and made reservations and were seated within 5 minutes. Our server was awesome and knowledgeable about the menu. The honey chicken was cooked to perfection! It was a mouth full of flavor. The Powpow shrimp was delicious as well but that sauce is hot! My only complaint is that I don't enjoy sitting next to others so depending on where you are in the restaurant, that's likely. read more

Boku Kitchen + Saloon - Pan Asian Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

In the interest of love and sharing, lemmy hep you: Boku is the place for fusion food (veggie me) in Columbia. Come here for the win, and!, if yer lvnlg, maybe you'll get Wyatt at the bar. Vibe, ambiance, service...please tell only just enough peeps! read more

Boku Kitchen + Saloon - Pan Asian Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

Boku is a solid spot. Went here for lunch during a team outing and it was pretty good. We ordered from their "brunch" menu since it was the weekend. The decor is , different to say the least lol. They doubled down on a grinch theme for Christmas not just with the aesthetic but also with some of their menu items. The food was pretty good. They offered their take on Dim Sum. We ordered some chicken satay, fried wontons, spring rolls, egg rolls and wings. The food was all reasonably priced and overall had good flavor. Not sure if i'd revisit but it's a good option. read more

I basically never review a place twice, but for the experience I had tonight - I had to make an exception. We planned a girls night to check out the "Naughty" Grinch pop up bar. The whole restaurant was decorated so cute, and they had a special menu. I tried the "Who Hash" and two of the Grinch cocktails. Everything was so amazing. Outside of a great ambiance and delicious food and drinks, every time I have been the staff are all SO warm, personable, and kind. I always worry stuff like this will be underwhelming, but if you're a Grinch fan or just want to try something new this is a must. read more

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Made a reservation for 5:30p on a Saturday for the restaurant week deal ($26 three course). The restaurant was relatively empty, and got a lot more packed after 6:00p. Our server had another server in training, and so with that and the combination of a lot of customers coming in, they weren't as attentive as we would have liked. However, I understand that there was a lot to handle as well as a new menu. I got the wonton soup, general bob's chicken, and dragonfruit cheesecake. My partner got the Thai cucumber salad, osso buco, and the dragonfruit cheesecake. The wonton soup was a little disappointing. I understand that the restaurant has to make out on the deal, not lose money, but I wasn't expecting such a small cup of soup with a single "wonton" in it. I put wonton in air quotes because it wasn't a wonton, it was a dumpling. A dumpling that tasted about as good as a frozen one from Publix. The soup base was very good, however, and the spinach and mushrooms were an interesting addition. My partner said that the cucumber salad was good, but the cucumbers were cut so thin that the salad was mostly a pool of dressing. My partner and I actually ended up swapping entrées since I was more interested in the osso buco then the general bob's. The general bobs, to me, was sweet and lacked a depth of flavor. My partner really liked it, but he ended up getting sick of it because the sweetness built up too much and made him a bit sick. The osso buco was delicious, but dry in some parts. It was a pork shank with a very nice glaze with a crunchy bark. The only problem was I think it was cooked unevenly at some points since while the meat was tender (easily fell off the bone), some of it was also bone dry. The fried rice that came with the meals were standard (a little dry), so there's not much to say about it. The biggest detractor of the meal was the dragonfruit cheesecake. Both my partner and I specifically chose this restaurant from the Restaurant Week ad for the cheesecake. The cheesecake was room temperature, dry, and the only "dragonfruit" aspect to it was a flavorless drizzle that did nothing but add color. I would hesitate to describe it as a dragonfruit cheesecake "made specially for Restaurant Week" as the ad mentioned since it was just a regular piece of cheesecake lazily drizzled with a flavorless syrup. Overall, the meal was worth the price due to the entrees doing most of the leg work, but we would for sure not eat here again. My partner described the food as "it would have been good if I was drunk", and since we were sober, we left unimpressed. Over all: My ratings: **Wonton soup: 7.5/10 **General Bob's chicken: 7/10 **Osso buco: 8.3/10 **Dragonfruit cheesecake: 4/10 Partner's ratings: **Thai cucumber salad: 6.5/10 **General Bob's chicken: 5/10 **Osso buco: 7/10 **Dragonfruit cheesecake: 3.5/10 Total: $61.05 (minus gratuity) read more

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Not a great evening at this place. Biggest issue was the service. It took ages (and a reminder) before the drinks appeared. It was particularly annoying when the entrees came out before the appetizers and even more annoying when the staff looked aghast that we sent the entrees back. And at no point were we asked whether everything (or even anything) was good. And the food here is meh. Pretty bland. Nothing to shout about. I wouldn't come here again, for sure. read more

I came up from Charleston to visit my kid in college and this place was amazing. We hit them up as soon as they opened at 4 ( we have a kitty that gets mean if he's not fed on time;) Our server was awesome, the prices during happy hour are crazy affordable for tapas and signature cocktails are $7! The Lychee martini was delicious but a a lil on the sweet side for me. I sipped on my son's Manhattan and it was PRIME! But the star was the Ube cocktail, after we tasted my sons, both his girlfriend and I ordered it. The summer rolls are delicious, the peanut sauce fire. Calamari was great, crab rangoons were awesome, tuna poke salad was amazing. Honestly? No complaints! read more

The food and drinks were delicious. The restaurant is beautiful. However, the service was not the best. Long wait times to receive entrees and refill. Extensive menu However. It was during restaurant week so the establishment was packed. I would give them a second try. read more

I really wanted to eat here on my lunch break but apparently 3:00-3:30 on a Sunday is a no go. The restaurant was completely empty but they were unable to serve any food?! That seems a little backwards. I immediately wanted to order a certain drink that's literally on their drink menu and the bartender seemed unsure how to make it. I wasn't given a menu and was told they were "in transition", but never was told I couldn't order food. Maybe one day I'll actually get to try their food. read more

Had the crab rangoons and pad Thai. Meh on the rangoons-wouldn't eat them again . The noodles were good but , seriously had about 5 tiny squares of chicken. Shameful ...wouldn't recommend. Bartender was nice and beer was cold. read more

I was pretty disappointed by Boku. I will say that it appeared to be unusually busy for a Monday night and they seemed to be short staffed. Since it was Monday, they had "maki Monday." I tried one of the hand rolls for $5 and a sushi donut for $7. My opinion was don't bother. They are so tiny and there was barely any fish, it was not a deal at all. However, the fish was fresh. We also got the pork dumplings which were good, definitely the best thing we had gotten. We also tried the shrimp pad thai which was overly salty and had an interesting flavor. The shrimp also seemed kind of overcooked. I did also get a cocktail which I thought was tasty. Finally, we had to wait a very long time for our food. At least a half hour. It is a nice atmosphere so if anything I'd go back to sit at the bar for a drink and the dumplings. read more

So this has been my wife and I's 3rd time to Boku. The last two times it was pretty decent. The service is normally good as well as the food. However on this trip the server was not pleasant. Immediately after we sat he asked for our drink orders. Pretty normal. However he made us feel rushed and uncomfortable with the constant are you ready to order. When we finally ordered appetizers and they come out, we explain the spring rolls looked over cooked. Like they were super dark. He wanted to go back and forth with us about it instead of offering to just have them redone. Finally the manager on duty comes to our table and we explain everything to her (Rachel) She offers to recook the spring rolls herself. They came out perfectly. She made the night end better than it started. She is also the reason we would return. The rest of our food was exceptional. read more

Boku Kitchen + Saloon - Wonton Soup - Bowl - Pan Asian Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

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Very unique decor and vibe inside! The crab rangoons weren't my favorite and several things on the menu were unavailable so we weren't able to stay, but our waiter was great and very nice! read more

Boku Kitchen + Saloon - Pan Asian Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

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Great for late nights. There is even a special menu! The restaurant was clean and it did not take too long to be seated. It was a nice feel inside. Nothing wild and crazy, more chill. The food was nice but they were out of A LOT of menu items and this was a regular weekend night. read more

Boku Kitchen + Saloon - Pan Asian Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

this is the second time my husband and I have patronized this place and thought the first time was a pretty big disappointment I didn't feel I had to write a review, some places are just not my cup of tea, or they could have had an off night... the place was pretty empty after all... Normally I want to give a restaurant more than one chance... I had heard a lot of positive reviews on Boku, yet I didn't go into it having any particular expectations, open minded is how I enter most situations, clean slate... We walked in and immediately liked the ambiance; great! Smelled good and was well populated. All point to a great eating experience. We got sat right away and we ordered our drinks, a beer for my husband and a hot Sake for me. She looks perplexed and informs me the choices are vast, so I tell her I want a standard sake, no flavors please. We order our food appetizers and all. The drinks come, then the appetizers, they are good but they on the crispy side, a smidge over fried, if this was the only thing it wouldn't be necessary to mention it, but since the overall experience was lacking I will bring it up. The food took longer than necessary to come out, I feel they forgot to deliver for it wasn't hot anymore. Not only were they not hot, they were on the plain side of flavors. I got a cup of Wonton Soup and it was ok but just hot, my husbands Chicken Bob tasted more like a chicken piccata (lemony sauce) than what I expected after reading the description; peppers and onions tossed in a homemade sweet and sour sauce... The food was sub-par, the service was average but what instigated my review is the sense of trickery. The bill; never have I paid $18 for a small sake! I asked for a plain, no fancy flavored Sake and without offering any suggestions I am brought an $18 sake... read more

Had another great experience at Boku. Our servers were very sweet and checked on us often. So let's get into this brunch!!! The food is amazing!! That scallop fried rice was so delicious! (9/10) If it wasn't so filling, we would have cleaned the bowl. The Asian salmon was pretty good. (8/10) I really enjoyed the sauce that was over the rice. & y'all, those scallop and shrimp wontons were bomb! (9/10) The Mimosa flight was perfect. The strawberry one was my favorite. (9/10) The vibe in there is always nice and Maddie was doing her thing on the dj booth. We will return! read more

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3 1/2 to 4 stars. Decor is definitely a plus however the food and service is inconsistent. This place has potential to be a frequent lunch/dinner spot but really needs some oversight on quality and taste of their dishes. My husband and I have given this spot a try on 3 separate occasions and each time the restaurant was out of the item I ordered. Servers/bartenders need to convey what's available before hand. The appetizers can be a hit or miss (inconsistent) and unfortunately we haven't eaten a main dish that makes us say " holy sh!t, this is good ". A bit mediocre for the price point. Everyone has different perspectives on taste so give this place a try and have your own experience. I highly recommend you try this place for happy hour first. read more

I can only give this place 3 stars because it is a beautiful restaurant and our waitress was super sweet but other than that I'm so disappointed. My bf and I came tonight (on a Sunday) around 6ish, and we just want a nice little tapas type dinner. A big party came in after us so our waitress did take a bit of time to come back to us but she was nice so it didn't bother me too much. We ordered drinks and few small plates. First she told us they were out of calamari which is what my bf wanted, so he ordered pan seared potstickers. Then a minute later so she said they were out of sticky buns and something else we ordered (I can't remember) but it was crazy that they couldn't even fulfill what we wanted so we decided to leave. Our waitress apologized and of course it wasn't her fault. I just can't believe that a restaurant could be out of so many things at 6pm and they didn't even bother to tell us before ordering. They could have at least told us what they didn't have so we didn't waste our time. I may try it again but after that experience, it's not likely. It's a shame because I was excited to try their ube'bay drink too! read more

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Our new favorite Asian fusion restaurant! Pad Thai was amazing. Carb Rangoon is the best we've had! Siu Bao was delicious. Peach Cobbler was to die for. Our server, Justice welcomed us with great service!! read more

SHOUTOUT TO LIZ!!! Our wonderful and attentive waitress. She was so so cool and felt like a friend. The food was amazing too. I wanted my miso soup as an entree and she made sure my friend's food came out super quick! We got the garlic noodles, potstickers, and she recommended us some Japanese beer. It was perfect and delicious!! read more

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The ambiance of the restaurant is great and the service is so friendly. The menu was a little more limited than I had hoped and while everything was good, it wasn't as great as I had hoped. It was completely a personal preference (like the ponzu sauce on the edamame was a little to sweet for me, but my dining mates loved it). I would love to go back for the dim sum brunch, just now I know what to expect! read more

Came back again and it was even better than last time. Great service again and delicious drinks. Fast service as well. Love love this place ! We liked the potstickers so much we got a second order read more

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The food here is ok, not the best I have ever had. I got the poke bowl, and again it was ok. The staff was nice!

I've been here a few times. For drinks I love it. The vibes are great and they have awesome cocktails. Food wise it's very hit or miss. I have liked most of the apps I've tried but their ramen was very bland and disappointing. Service has always good been. Overall I would go again I've been here a few times and would recommend for happy hour. read more

This is a great little date night spot in the Vista. The inside is ultra modern with a spacious bar that fills up with young professionals around happy hour. The food is Asian fusion that's well executed. I'm sure all the food is great but every single time I come here I get the same thing, kimchee fried rice. It's the perfect amount of spicy and tangy and the portion is huge for the money. We always get quality service and the staff seems to enjoy their menu. read more

First off we came as a walk in about 3:15pm and they were busy. We were seated immediately which was nice but everything after was a mess and highly disappointing. This place was on my places to try and I was excited! I love Asian cuisine but our service was poor and the food was sub par with the exception of the dumplings and the crab ragoon. Our waiter was missing for most of the time. Our food was either incorrect or cold on multiple occasions. They did have nice holiday decor and beverages to go with the Christmas theme which my friend had and it was delicious. Overall the atmosphere was busy holiday but that was expected. I won't be back and based off the menu, the food was honestly just okay compared to other Asian restaurants I've been to in columbia or downtown for that matter. I can recommend better places to go to than here. read more

Looking for some ramen in town we came upon this place. The appetizers that we had were all really good. The edamame had more flavor than I thought that they would have. I wasn't to much of a fan for the ramen. It didn't have much flavor and the noodles were just egh. The dish was lacking flavor for me. Very basic, I wouldn't call it real Ramen. Next time I'll try a different dish if invited again while in town. read more

Boku Kitchen + Saloon - Char Siu Pork Noodles - Pan Asian Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

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We went for brunch Saturday morning and it was very good. We got about 5 drinks between the two of us and my only complaint is that $10 for a mimosa is crazy. All their drinks are pricy in my opinion. It's a nice treat to order one when we go because they are very good. Food is always good here. Love the bao buns & pot stickers as an appetizer & our meal was yummy as well. They have it so cute inside set up for Christmas right now (grinch theme) & they even had the tvs on inside playing grinch movies. We've been here a few times before but I remembered to take photos of our food this time. read more

Boku Kitchen + Saloon - Bubble waffle with sticky wings & fried egg (special Christmas menu) - Pan Asian Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

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Came on a Sunday evening and tried a few different small plates as well as a few cocktails. Super cute decor and definitely a good date night spot. Service was fast and knowledgeable. Recommend the potstickers and 88 cocktail. read more

Boku Kitchen + Saloon - Calamari, Pork Potstickers, Vegetable Spring Rolls - Pan Asian Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

Don't come here expecting proper service or cooked food. The kitchen timing was completely mismanaged and there was no visible management presence on the floor. Our Tuesday night experience was disastrous. Entrees arrived before appetizers, with some appetizers never appearing at all. The food that did arrive was severely undercooked - even the rice was only half-cooked. The overwhelmed servers retreated to the back of the restaurant, avoiding any sort of customer interaction at most tables. When they're undercooking rice and edamame appetizers are coming out with desserts, it's a clear sign to go elsewhere. read more

GNO at Boku was so much fun! Reservations were made and we were seated immediately. The atmosphere was amazing and so inviting. We ordered one of each of the happy hour appetizers to start off the night. We also ordered a round of drinks from the holiday specials. Our appetizers came out but we were missing an order of pork potstickers, which we later got after we asked. All of the appetizers were so great and flavorful! We waited to order our food because we were enjoying each other's company. The appetizer plates and empty cups sat on our table for longer than I would have liked them to, but I understood they were pretty busy. What I'm assuming was the manager finally came and grabbed the plates. Shortly after, our food was served. I ordered the General Bob's chicken but substituted the sauce for the honey sauce. I also got the garlic noodles, which lacked any flavor. I had to mix sauce into them to eat them. A friend got the pho and ate 2 bites before she had the same complaint- lacking flavor and there was also no juice in the pho. The steak and broccoli was delicious and I was also told the ramen was good. Overall, my experience was ok. I don't feel like the entree was worth what I paid for it, based on the lack of flavor. I will not be back unless it's just for appetizers and drinks. read more

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