BOKAGUÁ

The food was excellent, and Dionisio provided outstanding service. He was attentive, knowledgeable, and offered excellent menu recommendations that enhanced our dining experience. His professionalism and friendly demeanor made our visit especially enjoyable. We greatly appreciated his service and look forward to returning.

Eduardo was our server. Very attentive but it was not very busy when I arrived with my party (2 other people). At times I did have to wait a while for my drinks especially after a large party arrived The sancocho wontons are a flavor bomb. I love the flavor of the pork and the crunchiness of the wonton. Well balanced. Their sancocho sauce is amazing and you got small bites of tangerine that just simply go with all the flavors. The Korean wings were pretty good as well. I will say the meat is slightly dry but good sauce ratio. The avocado crema served with it is definitely a nice touch. The short rib with the sweet plaintain puree is to die for. Absolutely exceptional. The meat is so tender and just goes so well with the puree. And the chayote salad served on the side is a nice palate cleanser. The sirloin was cooked so well and it has a nice char to it and not overly charred. I asked for it medium well but when I received it was a little over but none the less still very good. The garlic rice that it is served with wasn’t my favorite. My rice was under cooked. Also ordered the tostones and the yanikeke. Both very good especially the tostones. Overall I would come back because the food is very delicious. Ordered the coconut margarita and the mango margarita. Well balanced drinks. My wife ordered the lychee martini which is always a great choice. Spent about $500 between 3 people and 10 drinks between all 3.

Absolutely stunning atmosphere. My friend and I couldn't stop taking pictures because everything looked so stunning. Our waiter Carla was so attentive and welcoming, she recommended the Mango Tonic which was our favorite drink. WE LOVED HER SO MUCH and we will definitely come back with a nigher group. 10/10 recommended if you love to take cute pictures

Bokagua is a beautiful restaurant with a lovely aesthetic. It is a small space but well managed. I came for a birthday dinner reservation. There were some standout moments from the dining experience and a few let downs. The initial greeting and seating by our host was awkward. There was a bit of a rushed feeling with each server that created more awkward moments. I did enjoy most of the dishes especially the Sancocho wontons which was a creative take on the classic dish. The oxtail samosas were exceptional as well. My least favorite for lack of flavor and construction was the Dominican Spaghetti which in fact was not spaghetti. I typically don’t go into much detail regarding my dislike for foods and service details but for such a large bill, these details should be shared. I was not informed there would be a $80 “large” party fee for my table of 6 and I tipped on tip of this fee because it was not disclosed. I dined at another restaurant tonight with the same guest number and was not charged a fee. I found it to be unnecessary especially since we couldn’t even get water refills until the end of our meal. The attention of the staff was lacking to be deserving of an additional fee. Complaints aside the experience was decent and worth the a try at least.

Carla, Carla, Carla! Is it even possible to get better service? She fixed our table, picked up my jacket off the floor, and recommended the best dishes on the menu. Pictured are the “Sancocho Wontons”, and “Lobster Fried Rice”, not pictured is the short rib. Truly amazing service, 12/10 recommend! I think I just became a regular..

Went for Valentine’s Day and walked in expecting the cocktail menu to be the highlight — and it absolutely was. The drinks were creative, well-balanced, and beautifully presented in distinct glassware. Easily the strongest part of the experience. The ambience was also excellent: dim lighting, intimate vibe, great music. It’s a genuinely beautiful space and perfect for date night. That said, the layout was a bit confusing. When I made the reservation, we discussed lounge vs. dining seating. Upon arrival, the space felt smaller than expected and the tables were quite close together and on the smaller side. For a menu structured around “small and large shareables,” the table size didn’t really support that experience. If additional dining space was under renovation or unavailable, it wasn’t communicated (even though our reservation was confirmed twice), which added to the confusion. Food-wise, this is where things get nuanced. The menu reads ambitious and exciting — and you can absolutely taste the potential — but the execution didn’t consistently meet the vision. We started with the Korean fried chicken wings, which were very good. Proper crunch, sticky smoky depth, nicely done. For mains, we ordered the braised short rib jiajang and the strip loin ssamjang and ended up sharing both. The steak ssamjang was described as coming with a market wrapping kit, assorted banchan, sauce trio, and garlic rice. The sauce trio was excellent and the kimchi was solid, but the “wrapping kit” and assorted banchan were initially missing. After asking, three romaine hearts were brought out — nicely plated, but still not quite what was described or expected. When you market a ssam-style experience, the accompaniments are a major part of the dish, and that felt incomplete. The steak itself (ordered medium) was slightly tough for my partner but acceptable to me, though the cuts were fairly large and no steak knife was provided. The garlic rice was fine but leaned more subtle than flavorful. The short rib jiajang was tender and enjoyable, with a pleasant sweetness from the banana component, but it didn’t quite have the depth or intensity you might expect from a dish like that. It felt like it was very close to being great, just not fully dialed in. Dessert (coconut cassava cake roll with vanilla ice cream and passionfruit caramel) was good — dense, not overly sweet (which I appreciated), and the passionfruit element tied it together nicely — though more of a cream sauce not caramel and again, good but not particularly a standout moment. To be fair, it was Valentine’s Day and clearly a busy service. There did appear to be a light time limit on reservations, which is understandable on a holiday. We likely would have stayed for more cocktails, but our reservation window was ending — even though there were still a few open tables visible. I’ll chalk some of that up to the nature of the evening. Overall, cocktails and ambience were excellent. The menu shows real creativity and potential, but the food execution and some service details fell slightly short — especially at $100+ per person. With tighter consistency and better alignment between menu description and plate, this could easily be a 4.5-star experience. We would absolutely love to see a happy hour here — the cocktails alone would make it worth returning for that. As it stands, though, while the drinks and vibe were excellent, the food isn’t quite calling us back just yet.

This is my first time at this restaurant & when I say EXCEEDED MY EXPECTATIONS!! I mean it !!! I'm very open to trying different cultural foods and I'm so happy I came to Bokagua! Our server Dioni was so nice and patient with us and even gave us recommendations on what we would like. My favorite was the shrimp dumplings in a flavory curry green sauce and the jumbo grilled shrimps. My steak loin was done to perfection!(medium well done 😂) So tender and juicy paired with the lobster fried rice. 10/10 would definitely come back!

This place is a whole vibe. Our waiter Dion was attentive without being overbearing and on point. The bartender….drinks delicious. The food well seasoned and amazing! The music took me back to the sound factory days.