Boca-Boca is not expensive compared to similar restaurants in other cities, but it is pricey by Oklahoma City standards. Part of what you get for the money, though, are appetizers that are clearly some of the best in the city. The Greek Salad had a freshness that was hard to match, and I could not imagine any of the ingredients not being the best that was available in Oklahoma City. The feta cheese was probably the highlight of the salad, and everything else served as a good compliment. The dressing had a strong flavor (a good flavor, of course), and I found strong flavors to be the theme of all the food served here. When everything is fresh and good quality, there is certainly nothing the chef would want to hide or mask.

Half order of a cod dinner at Boca-Boca

Oklahoma City has traditionally had a different take on seafood than a lot of places. Being away from the ocean in the heart of beef country, most restaurants have seemed to do best with fried shrimp and whatever types of fish could be shipped into the area without losing most of their flavor. I think Boca-Boca may suffer from the perception many people have of the typical mediocre fish that is dressed up by breading or other preparation styles that make it somewhere between palatable and enjoyable.

What I found at Boca-Boca was fish that was fresh enough that it really could have been served in good restaurants just about anywhere in the country. Specifically, the Poached Cod tasted like cod should taste, and the fact that it was poached would have highlighted any lack of freshness in the fish (but I did not perceive any). Whether Oklahoma City gets the same variety of fish found in other areas is another matter, but I think the varieties served at Boca-Boca will be the best available in terms of freshness.

The bowl pictured above was half of an order that was split, and I think would have been a sufficient quantity for an order in itself. I enjoyed the vegetables (all fresh), and the lemon slice was a nice touch. Black mushrooms are not really visible in the picture, but were part of the dish. The rather strong sauce permeated the fish and vegetables. Personally I find that usually the more complicated a fish dish gets the less I enjoy it, and this was probably the case here. I cannot fault the chef for anything, since this was a very good quality dish. It is only that in trying something different I probably missed out on something I would have liked better such as a simple breaded or plain fish (especially after looking at what other tables ordered).

Although I did not try the breaded fish here I think it would be a totally different experience than is usually the case at restaurants, with very good quality fish being used. This is certainly something I would like to try in the future.

Creme Brulee at Boca-Boca

Desserts are another part of the fine dining experience at Boca-Boca, with the Crème Brûlée being one of the several choices available. I like almost all the crème brûlée desserts I try, but this one was particularly impressive with the brûlée part being crispy to the point that the burned flavor was just right. I am not trying to analyze it as much as to say that I really enjoyed it.