East meets West at Boa, and it’s not what you think
Tucked into a small storefront in the Highland neighborhood, Boa’s (3464 W. 32nd Ave., 303-484-9628) East-meets-West theme seems dangerously boring. How many restaurants in the world tout the exact same idea? How many joints will serve sushi-tuna tacos before the madness stops? At least Boa doesn’t have the word “bistro” anywhere in its name.
Incidentally though, Boa isn’t the typical Asian-fusion snorefest. Instead of tortured re-workings of familiar dishes, Boa is simply a split menu, serving both Asian and Mexican food (with only a few crossovers like the Korean barbecue sopapilla and the Mongolian burrito). It’s the perfect solution for lunch crews torn between the two cuisines.
On the East side, Boa offers a survey of popular Asian delights like Korean bibimbap, pad Thai, a Vietnamese noodle bowl, and a selection of Chinese plates. The Singapore rice noodles are a nice place to settle: The wispy noodles are coated in a thin curry sauce, slightly spicy and a tiny bit sweet. Chunks of bell pepper are hiding in there, too, along with choices of chicken, beef, shrimp, or tofu. The tofu is cooked to a satisfying, golden finish; throw in some cilantro, and it’s a mighty good-lookin’ bowl of noodles.
Heading West, the Mexican choices are also of the standard variety: tacos, burritos, sopapillas, and enchiladas, all with a choice of meat or tofu. The taco plate comes with three hefty, hard, blue-corn tacos filled to the brim, plus a side item. For bad mornings that need a little soothing, get the fideo—it’s a Mexican chicken-noodle soup with tomatoes and chilies. The homemade blue-corn chips and salsa are a must-order; the smoky salsa is fiery and fresh, and goes unexpectedly well with a noodle bowl.
Happily, instead of a Necronomicon of mismatched offerings culled from the Walk-In Freezer Of Despair, Boa’s menu is tightly edited and blessedly straightforward. Sure, you can probably find a better noodle bowl on Federal Boulevard, but can you have chicken taquitos as an appetizer? Didn’t think so.
