Bokobá — Restaurant in San Antonio

Today, I had an experience with Mexican food like never before. We headed out for lunch at a new spot in San Antonio, Texas. The place was spacious and very clean. The menus were wrapped in a leather folder, dark brown in color, with the restaurant’s logo embossed in low relief. Just reading the descriptions made me crave all the dishes. I immediately ruled out anything from the sea due to my allergies, but after reading the menu several times, I decided on the Gaoneras.

When the rectangular, charcoal-colored ceramic plate was placed on my table, I was struck by the presentation of the gaoneras. Each one was a corn tortilla topped with a spoonful of beet and lime sauce. On top of that was a portion of grilled cheese, followed by a piece of beef steak—lean meat, almost like filet, with no fatty bits.

On top of that were crispy, coiled fried onion rings, small and battered—delicious. The chef crowned the dish with thinly sliced roasted onions and small roasted potatoes with their skins on. On the table, we had three salsas: a non-spicy red one, a green sauce similar to a diluted guacamole with a delightful flavor, and a thicker, spicier red one—our favorite.

I struggled to pick up the first gaonera because folding the tortilla to lift it to my mouth was difficult—it was clearly overstuffed. My first bite barely touched the edge of the meat, but I tasted almost everything else in the taco. Surprised by the balance of flavors, I immediately dove back in, and this time, my bite included all the taco's ingredients together.

It was an intense burst of flavors. It wasn’t easy for my palate to separate them. The balance between the tortilla, beet and lime sauce, cheese, spicy salsa, perfectly cooked meat, and crispy onion strips made me eagerly take bite after bite until the first taco was history. But I still had two more gaoneras to go. For the second one, I took it more slowly, examining it with my fork to see if I could discover anything more. Later, I learned that the restaurant’s cuisine is Mexican with a fusion twist, but what exactly is the fusion with? That part remained a mystery.

My amazement continued as I devoured the second taco with enthusiasm. For the third one, I decided to use a fork and knife, tasting the ingredients one by one. Ahhh, I should have done this from the beginning. Now more relaxed than hungry, I was able to taste the tortilla just with the cheese, the meat, the little onions, and so on. I ate that gaonera in small, meticulously cut pieces, each one delicately lifted to my mouth by my fork.

Intrigued, I asked the friendly waiter about the chef, who promptly and proudly came over to chat with us for about 5 minutes. Without a doubt, it was a unique and innovative Mexican dining experience. My wife ordered a serving of picaña, which had a delicious flavor. But since I only had a small taste, I don't dare review that dish. The sugar-free sodas were consumed, and I ordered a Carlota for dessert to share with my wife.

Two waiters brought over a wooden structure, placed a tray of considerable size on top, and then a white plate that looked like enamelware. The Carlota was buried beneath something white and foamy that looked like meringue. One of the waiters lit a blowtorch, and the blue flames delicately kissed the surface of the “meringue,” releasing a wonderful roasted marshmallow scent. Ah, I definitely chose the best dessert. The lemon flavor of the Carlota was just perfect. I wish I could say more, but I’ve already written too much. I would love to return to this new little corner of San Antonio, although knowing myself, I would probably order exactly the same...

At first glance Bokobá has no vibe of a traditional Mexican restaurant. You enter into a bar looking area with tables located with an enchanting view of the tiny parking lot. Bokobá is not a popularly used Spanish word, but more of a dialectic word from the Yucatan region of Mexico, so you're still looking for clues that you're in a Mexican restaurant. But once you open the expensive leather menu, you'll see Mexican restaurant words like taco, enchilada, taquito, pozole, menudo, and other popular words from your favorite Mexican restaurant(s). That seems to be where the link to traditional Mexican food ends. Now I would not mind at all if they advertised NON-traditional Mexican food, but the reviewers raved about their traditional and authentic food. My wife ordered the mini taquito appetizer. Bokobá really puts the mini and -ito into their mini taquitos. For $16 she received two, 3-inch diameter, hard shell taquito(ito)s where the tiny shell disintegrated after the first bite. The ceviche inside was a little more fishy than I had hoped, but I'm not a fish guy. I asked for enchiladas Michoacanas. My thinking when trying a new Mexican restaurant is, "if they can make tasty cheese enchiladas, then I'll come back." The menu said, "corn tortillas dipped in traditional red guajillo chili sauce, queso fresco with diced onions, sautéed potatoes...." It sounded to me like a traditional cheese enchilada with a side of potatoes. And, although it wasn't mentioned on the menu, rice and beans. But no. Instead of being 'enchilada red,' they were deep dark brown. Instead of being filled with queso blanco, they were filled with slivered new potatoes and only sprinkled with a dusting of a dry queso blanco. There was a wilted (in a bad way) leafy green and a few slices of wilted (in a good way) onion on top of the three enchiladas. I ate one and a half and abandoned all hope that my palette would become more receptive to them. Rice and beans would have added plus points to the meal. So as the enchilada was not to my 'traditional' liking, we will not return. I would have been embarrassed had we brought friends with us. If you are looking for traditional San Antonio type of Mexican food and prices, this is not the place. Oh, the soft drinks come in plastic bottles, not from the bar or a fountain. One meal and one appetizer(ito) was $32.

On the plus side, the large bowl of crunchy chips and three salsas were much appreciated. Best of all the wait staff was very well dressed in black. Our waiter was a tapatío from Guadalajara. I would give Bokobá 5 stars for the service. It...

This was a fascinating dining experience: the food was excellent in flavor, and some of them were outstanding. The guacamole prepared table side was top notch, the Seabass spectacular in flavor, the oysters a surprise fusion of classic and Mexican; the pollo ala brasa was also a standout, in the flavor department. The Wellington beef was dead on launch but the attempt was admirable.

The peculiar aspect of the experience were the proportions and plating. In an effort to provide value to diners the kitchen send out massive portions: the enchiladas overstuffed with meat, the chicken a bird cut in half but not broken into parts, the fish a giant (well cooked!) hunk of flesh. No sides. Just a massive uncut chicken with delicious sauce slapped on a plate, and a half a seabass dumped out of a pan. This blunt and coarse plating contrasted in its brutal simplicity to the complexity of the flavors.

If the chef refines his technique the experience of eating his dishes would be elevated to the same level as the flavors. If they can dial it in this could be a standout Nuevo Mexican food destination. As it stands now it was fascinating and frustrating at once.

The service was sweet and earnest but inexperienced and sometimes slow and other times too fast. Expertise will come in time.

Drinks were okay, with margaritas a bit too sweet, but with plenty of Mexican wine available there are other options for the adventurous.

Decor was minimal but not unwelcoming.

It was great to see the owners walk the floor and ask how diners are enjoying themselves. It was a good experience, but if they can refine the plates it could...