Chicago | Creative Omakase from Boka Group 🍣✨ Duck Reminiscent of EMP

A new Japanese omakase spot open for just 4 months under the Boka Restaurant Group. Head chef Brian Lockwood previously served as Chef de Cuisine at New York’s Eleven Madison Park. 🦆 Dry Aged Sansho Pepper Duck Breast The duck breast is sliced clean with a beautiful pink center. The skin is thin and crisp, with fat nearly fully rendered — not greasy at all, and juices perfectly locked in. While the seasoning differs from EMP (Midōsuji’s is more spice-forward), the texture and execution are remarkably similar to EMP’s textbook-perfect duck. Both use high-quality duck — where do they even source duck with so little fat? 😮 🍵 Chawanmushi Recently had something very similar in flavor and texture at Oriole. 🍄 Shiitake Tempura & Tea The tempura batter was a bit firm — maybe the batter ratio or oil temperature — but the mushroom itself and the broth were tasty. 🐟 Hamachi A solid, well-executed tartare. 🦀 Jonah Crab Salad The mayo was slightly heavy, overshadowing the crab’s natural sweetness. 🍣 Kampachi Creative sushi — fresh and inventive. 🌯 Tuna & Shrimp Handroll Leans toward an American-style handroll — sweet-salty seasoning, nori wasn’t super crisp. 🍚 Parmesan Risotto A Japanese-Italian fusion truffle risotto with a softer rice texture — decent in flavor. 🍧 Kakigori They wheel out an actual ice shaver tableside — Chicago chefs really know how to put on a show! 😎 The flavor was clean, refreshing apple — delicious and palate-cleansing. 🍫 Gold Chocolate A dessert I loved! Ice cream with a creamy, almost custard-like texture — not the prettiest presentation, but the taste was incredible. Reminded me of the dessert style at Atomix. #ChicagoEats #BokaGroup #Omakase #CreativeCuisine #JapaneseFusion #FineDiningChicago