We really like publico so we were very excited when boku opened up. We have visited boku twice now. Once for brunch back in October 2022 I believe and tonight for dinner. Both times were meh. Both times unfortunately I was served something inedible. Brunch - the dim sum items were fine nothing blew me away but it was nice to try something different. I also ordered the bahn mi avacado toast. It was so spicy that myself and my friend sent it back neither one of us could eat it. It is listed as a baguette with avacado, pickled vegetables, bahn mi marinated chicken, and cilantro. I'm not sure what should have been so spicy that two people literally could not eat it. Now I will say that the bahn mi tacos at publico are also too spicy for me so maybe they use a similar recipe but nothing else I've ever ordered at other restaurants that are bahn mi-ish has ever had such an intense spiciness. This brings us to tonight for dinner. I ordered an array of appetizers Brussels (the best thing out of everything and a hefty portion) the fried green beans (a little oily but also a hefty portion and just ok tasting) the potstickers we're pretty good, a side of garlic noodles (they were ok just a little bland) and then the Vietnamese summer roll......it was literally the saltiest thing I have ever tasted in my life. It had my tongue tingling after the first bite like after you've had too much salty popcorn or enter other salty snack. My friend gave it a try after I told him not to and he immediately agreed with me. It was absolutely inedible. The noodles were soaked in soy sauce and both sauces served with it were also salty there was no relief. It was truly awful. We told the waitress and she apologized and told us that it was the first time she's heard that. They did remove it from our check thankfully. The building is decorated amazingly and the presentation of all the food is wonderful but it was either under or over seasoned or just meh unfortunately. I really hope they can turn it around because it's a great concept but the execution just isn't there. read more

What's not to like at Boku! Apps, Drinks, Noodles, atmosphere, service...all spot on! The Lychee, Mule, Crab Rangoon, Shrimp, Tuna Poke, Cha Stu, General Bobs noodles, all fantastic! A must stop in Cola! read more

The food and service was INCREDIBLE! 11 out of 10, Christmas in July themed. They were so welcoming and they had one person dressed as the grinch... when I tell you I have not laughed or smiled like that in a while, I'm telling the truth. Shout out to our server Matthew. He made my night. Thanks, we will be back!!! read more

The ambiance is great and the service is great. I was stoked to check out the dim sum brunch as I've been wanting to for a while. This place has so much potential, but sadly the food just isn't very good. We ordered several items but it was all pretty flavorless. Chicken satay was over cooked and stringy with an odd flavor. The peanut sauce didn't taste right, more like watered down jiffy peanut butter. The noodles were bland and tasted like spaghetti. We had to drawn them with sauce to make them palatable. I hope they can turn this place around. Get a new chef, and a new menu. Otherwise, a cool space. Fine for drinks. Food needs work. read more

Service was good and the restaurant had a nice feel to it, but the food itself was very sub par. We got the bao buns with pork as an appetizer and they came out half cold. Our entre was the pork noodle and my eggs were ice cold. It was obvious they had been sitting in a fridge instead of freshly boiled, which maybe is the norm, but I've never experienced them being cold before. Overall I would say the food was 6/10 but our waitress was very kind and attentive. read more

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

Aesthetic was 10/10. Service was really great. However I'd give the food 3/5. Noodle bowl was not meant for thick noodles, plates did not match food content. Also food was very under seasoned. Drinks were okay but nothing special, especially for the price. Giving it a 3/5 because I came for the food and the best part was the server and the aesthetic. read more

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We've made a few visits to Boku and everything has been GREAT! The Crab Rangoons are a must have and the new DJ and Dim Sum brunch is an absolute blast. The staff is extremely knowledgeable and they provide an excellent experience. The atmosphere is energetic and unique as well! Get to BOKU !!! read more

Great service! Also an amazing setting I loved the vibe. I did not enjoy my food. Maybe I needed to order something different I got the pork char sui noodles and it was just not good. My family also did not enjoy theirs except for the beef and broccoli. I wouldn't come back not worth the price for the food quality. read more

Located right in the Vista, this new spot is fabulous. Vibe check: PASS, Delcious food: A+ and Perfect Summer drinks: 10/10. I assumed it would be amazing and man was I right. The Spicy Noodles were the way to go along with the Thai Lemongrass Marg, made spicy of course. read more

Thoroughly enjoyed our late afternoon cocktails and apps at Boku. Both the pot stickers and Brussels were excellent. We sat at the bar and our bartender Nikiya was delightful and attentive. She made some tasty cocktails too. Try the Crescent Moon - perfect on a hot summer afternoon! read more

Delicious food and excellent service. Colin was friendly, fast, and very professional.

liz needs a raise!!! she was so kind and helpful, such a joy to have her serve us. the food and drinks were amazing! read more

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

I hope Madison gets to read this review! I am one of the four ladies that came in on Thursday night after being at the trauma conference in Columbia South Carolina. Thank you for making us feel very welcome and for taking care of us! We could not stop talking about the service we received at this bar And how hospitable everybody was to us. This place was immaculate and so welcoming. We were so impressed with the customer service and definitely couldn't believe the level of customer service that was delivered to us! Thank you Madison and everyone else for making us feel welcome on this evening. The drinks were absolutely fabulous!! read more

A great date spot! First thing you notice when you walk in is the stunning mural, the atmosphere was lively and the food was delicious! My server Kaitlin was so sweet. They have a little outdoor patio with an amazing little photo spot. Ps, the peach cobbler is a must read more

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

Overall not good experience. We came on a Tuesday evening with a reservation and the restaurant was out of many menu items. We ordered appetizers and after about 15 minutes of waiting the waiter let us know they were out of half of them. The appetizers we did get tasted very well, we had the edamame, pot stickers, green beans and Brussels sprouts. All great but Brussels sprouts were definitely the star for appetizers. We then waited an hour and a half to get all but one of our entrees. The last person waited an additional 15 minutes, receiving food once everyone else had already finished. Really nice spot, lighting set the mood, wasn't too loud and overall nice decor. read more

10 out of 10 would recommend Elizabeth!! She was the best from the moment we entered the building we were met with such amazing service!! Liz was so accommodating and went above and beyond to make our time desirable. Thank you soooo much for everything and I love your earrings!! Oh and the food and drinks were amazing! Hats off to the bartender!! read more

Liz B was incredibly knowledgeable and friendly! Amazing seecive to go the amazing food! 10/10 and will return. Try the Osso Bucco!

Liz was amazing and made our dinner a wonderful experience! Best service ever experience! The food was amazing as well. You can bet that we will eat here again! read more

This establishment caught our eye by the bright, fun decor. Upon entering, we were greeted and enjoyed a spring cocktail by the bar. The Lavender Gin Sour and Ray of Sunshine cocktails were delicious. Angel was kind and happy to answer out questions. Will be back to try out their food!!! read more

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

Wow! Absolutely blown away. The food was way better than I had anticipated. The Hong Kong Ribs 10/10. So juicy and fall off the bone- the crab Rangoon 9/10- again one of the best in town. The service- DJ the bartender is amazing and so professional! I'm Looking forward to this place collaborating with some local businesses- we are happy to have you in the community. read more

This was my first time at Boku for girls night and it was AMAZING! The quality of our food was so good. I forgot the name of our waiter but he was kind and recommended food options based upon what's popular and the taste we were going after. I got the Hong Kong ribs and I'm not crazy about ribs but these were delicious! For my entree I got the honey chicken with the spicy noodles and they were good too! The noodles are indeed spicy but it's a kind of spicy that you just can't help but go back to and keep eating. Definitely recommend this place 10/10 read more

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Boku is an awesome addition to the Columbia scene! The ambience is incredible, music pumping, murals galore and neons that impress. I had the Lychee Martini and Thai Lemongrass Marg and they were both super tasty and well balanced. We tried a lot on our first trip, from the Crab Rangoon, which was the best I've had, to the Hong Kong Ribs and Pow Shrimp. Everything we had was on point with great flavor. I'm impressed because we were there just a week after they opened. I can't wait to visit again! read more

Pricilla Miller was a wonderful waitress for us! We loved her!! She was very attentive to our needs

Having enjoyed both Publico locations (Five Points & Bull Street), and on recommendation from a family member, we decided to check out Boku Kitchen & Saloon for this week's Thursday night dinner outing. They had us at Pan Asian, but we were pleasantly surprised by the variety in the drinks menu. The Tokyo Mule and Iwai 45 Whiskey (I think that's the spelling?) were quite tasty. We explored the apps, and settled on Tempura Baby Corn, wok-fried Brussels, and Hot & Sour soups. The Brussels were the prettiest dish of the evening, but the baby corn was (IMHO) the tastiest app. I mentioned a food allergy, and the kitchen literally double- and triple-checked to be sure I could have ingredients in the tofu & kimchi rice dish. The platter on which the fish dish was served was one of the prettiest I've seen. Our server, CeCe, was beyond personable, and made the evening even nicer. One of the managers shared with us about the fedora painted on the mural to honor the late partner "Bob" (the namesake of General Bob's Chicken) and his love of all things Sinatra. We'll be back, and our Asian teenager was excited about bringing his friends there. A worthy neighbor to the next door Motor Supply Co. Bistro. read more

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Our server, Brock, was great. He knew the menu very well and gave solid recommendations!!! I enjoyed the General Bob's Chicken entree and my wife had the Cobia Fish with garlic noodles. We definitely will be going back to Boku!!! read more

The décor in the restaurant and the happy hour deals are great, but the service was hands down the best part of my experience. Our table had CeCe as our server and she was incredibly knowledgeable about each dish and was very attentive to our table the whole time. For dishes, I'd recommend the green beans and the spicy noodles! read more

We LOVE this place!! The food is second to none, the atmosphere is perfect and the staff has been wonderful each time we have came. When we are in town, this is where we go. Already looking forward to the next meal here! read more

Boku Kitchen + Saloon - Pho Noodles; General Bob's S&S Chicken; Spicy Noodles - Pan Asian Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

Boku was a pleasant surprise. Sat at the bar and had garlic noodles and potstickers, both excellent. Wyatt was super helpful at the bar.

Food was very good! Full of unique flavors. Service was great. We went during Christmas time, and the restaurant was decked out. The entire place was decorated with Grinch stuff, which made it even more fun! read more

I tried this place the other day, it was a pleasant surprise. The appetizers were really good from the ones we chose. Everything had a good flavor, and the ribs fell off the bone. The atmosphere of this place is really nice, and the mural they have on their wall is really pretty. The staff are really nice and patient, which added to the overall experience. Now getting to the entrees, I got for my meal the kimchi fried rice and I added shrimp to it. The shrimp was good, however I did not like the flavor of the rice with the kimchi. I understand that kimchi has some spice to it. However the rice did not compliment the kimchi well. The rice had sort of a buttery flavor to it, but didn't taste as seasoned. So the dish had the spice of the kimchi, with just rice. I felt as though my mouth just felt the spice without any other flavor other than shrimp. Which felt like it's own separate meal. Other than that, I do recommend going here, it is worth it for the atmosphere and experience. There is not a lot of diverse food options where it is located. So it's definitely worth a try! read more

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Came here on Monday night for drinks & was greeted instantly by the smiling bartender Wyatt. Service was fast, drinks were great. 10/10 & will absolutely be back! read more

Such a great restaurant and I highly recommend! Our server Kennedy was amazing and the highlight of our night!

Restaurant decor was very cool. Our waitress was lovely and attentive. However, the food was very disappointing especially for the price. We had the potstickers to start which were mediocre and falling apart. My husband had General Bobs chicken and it was literally just a handful of chicken for $14, had to pay extra for the rice which was supposed to be fried but was essentially just white rice soaked in soy sauce. I had the shrimp and added the noodles which ended up being $24 and wasn't great. The entrees are also limited. Lastly, it was 745pm and the music was blasting like a club, also freeeeezing in there. We were excited as we love Asian food but won't be back. read more

We visited this restaurant on a Monday at 7pm. We were immediately greeted by their friendly hosts and sat in a booth, our server was Will B and he was very well versed with the menu and I enjoyed all of his recommendations. I felt like all of the food was very flavorful and the service was quick. I definitely loved the atmosphere and will return with my husband. read more

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The actual restaurants atmosphere and aesthetic is very nice and relaxing but the food itself was eh, the best way to describe it is just that. The food looked really appetizing but the taste wasn't all that and it was either too vinegary or too salty. It was overdressed Chinese food. I can say that I've tried it but will probably not be revisiting. Good pictures though lol! read more

Very cool atmosphere was really excited to try this place. It is very loud inside which makes it very difficult to enjoy your meal with your guest. Music blaring loud noises just an over abundance. Now for the food quite disappointing there were four of us each of us got something different some appetizers and a few drinks nobody was really impressed with any of their food everything sort of had a very similar taste to it. All the dishes looked amazing now if they can just figure out how to get some flavor out of everything so that one doesn't taste like the other - taste like the other - taste like the other I think they have something that might be able to draw people back and be successful. Maybe we'll try it again in about six months if their menu is changed and they figured out how to give their food some different flavors instead of everything tasting the same. Best of luck to them. read more

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Not authentic the food was soggy the pork boa buns was dry and overcooked the general bod chicken was very nasty

Was in town during there opening week and was extremely impressed with Boku! The layout of the inside design was very chic and creative. For food I started off with the crab Rangoon and Vietnamese rolls...very impressed with the consistency and flavor. For my entree I decided to go with shrimp kimichi fried rice and I absolutely loved it. Food was good, & staff was friendly & knowledgeable..I will be back for sure. read more

Wasn't the best. I am from California and am very familiar with authentic Asian cuisine. This is a mix of many cultures and neither hit the the spot. The crab ragoons were a bit salty. The lychee martini was good, I ordered two. The ribs were also good forgot to snap a picture. Would not recommend the rice, almost made me want to throw up. read more

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

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Boku was recommended to us by a good friend of ours who is a bartender. She always gives us great recommendations so we didn't hesitate when she told us we had to check this place out! We had a eventful foodie day so we mainly just stopped in the have a couple of cocktails and a small bite. I ordered the berry domaine and my husband ordered The 88. We appreciated the drinks very much! We love a good complex drink so I'd undoubtedly give them a 5 star review on that alone. However some of the dishes that we chose just didn't hit the spot for us. Let's start with the good! The pork potstickers were great, no complaints. However we actually went to Publico (same owner) earlier that day and had such amazing ribs so we decided to compare and contrast. We ordered the Hong Kong ribs, while the flavor was great the texture just wasn't there for us. In their defense this was solely based on comparison to the ribs we had at the previous restaurant. We also ordered the tempura baby corn, I was not impressed by taste but quantity wise they certainly didn't skimp! I will certainly return to explore the menu more! This time I'll come with an appetite. read more

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