Most of the negative reviews I see of this place are critical of the fact that the«food doesn’t taste authentic». This is definitely a FUSION restaurant done right. Many fusion eateries try far to hard and you end up with an oversauced pile of imagineering by an overzealous chef. Here at boo koo, everything just seemed pretty perfectly set up. The funky décor, the laid back music, the community tables and the beachy vibe all came together. Yes it’s a bit noisy, but the overall feel of the place is pretty cool. The servers were super friendly and attentive. The food was pretty awesome for the price, It’s actually on the lower end price wise compared to similar Asian restaurants. I ate the chicken phở, my girlfriend had the pad Thai with tofu, and our friends had chicken wings and coconut soup. I tried bites of every dish and was impressed with the presentation and favors. The texture of the chicken in the phở was a little off, and more basil would have been nice. The tofu in the pad Thai was amazing, the wings were on point, and The coconut mushroom soup was incredible. Great little spot for a quick dinner!
Kim G.
Tu valoración: 4 Corte Madera, CA
Love this place. Good selection of beer, tasty food, big tv’s to watch games. Easy menu, pleasant and helpful staff too. Take out is a good option too.
Dan J.
Tu valoración: 5 Mill Valley, CA
My family loves Boo Koo, especially since it grew in size a year ago. Great food at very reasonable prices with helpful staff. Extremely kid friendly with a great bento box kids menu that my little ones love. And very decent beers on tap. Glad to have them in Mill Valley!
Rachel H.
Tu valoración: 3 San Rafael, CA
Wondering about the inspiration for the name. A clever take on the french word for plenty, beacoup? An original take on Beatles lyrics, «I am the eggman. I am the walrus. Boo Koo ga g’oob.» Whatever the significance of the name, Boo Koo is an original, not-cookie cutter spot. It’s a small, solid locals option in a town of limited food options, serving up a mismash of Thai, Indonesian and Vietnamese flavors to folks willing to steer their meal towards Asian-ish dishes, rather than traditional Asian plates. The menu here includes several rice plates, phở, fresh spring rolls, curries and bahn mi and offers plates with either names or flavors that touch on almost every major country in SE Asia. All the food is fusion rather than traditional, and its a mix of of emotions as dishes arrive and are well meaning and cost effective, adequate and filling, and not unlike something prepared in your college dormitory, assuming your college kitchen had an aspiring chef with a penchant for travel. Fun atmosphere despite being in a strip mall, and full of friendly employees. I like this spot, its just that I don’t want to oversell it to you. A fun stop in Mill Valley for lunch.
Stef S.
Tu valoración: 5 Berkeley, CA
This place was great! We got the boo Koo peanut dish with hoisin pork, mushroom coconut soup and the pad Thai. Everything was delicious, extremely flavorful and hefty portions. Can’t wait to come back! PS– awesome beer selection too!
Oliver B.
Tu valoración: 5 San Rafael, CA
I had dinner here tonight with my dad. It was really nice to see that they had so many vegan options. I got the pad Thai and had their garlic tofu on top of it. They both tasted really great and the portion size was very generous for the price. We didn’t have to wait long for the food after we ordered it. The ambiance is nice too. They played what I would call mellow electronic or indie electronic melodies. The lighting was nice and the service was quick. Loved it and will be coming back!!!
Elle W.
Tu valoración: 2 Petaluma, CA
I’ve really tried to like this place. I’ve been there to eat in a couple times and ordered take out a couple more but honestly I don’t think I’ll try it again. The waitress that served my table when I ate there was very friendly but I have to say that every time I’ve called to order I either can’t hear them because it’s so noisy in the background or they are rather rude and unfriendly. The phở is good although I’ve had better and as far as the other dishes go I feel that they are over priced and definitely not authentic Asian cuisine. If you add any kind of meat or tofu to your dish the bill goes up dramatically. For the price I expect friendlier service and better food.
Fused g.
Tu valoración: 3 Forestville, CA
We’ve been to this CA-Thai fusion eatery twice. It eeks its way up to a 3+ overall. The place isn’t that comfortable with most of the seating on metal stools and in a noisy chaotic atmosphere – so it isn’t the best unless you can snag a regular chair at a table. FOOD: Summer Rolls($ 4) for only two small pieces… they didn’t have enough filling and were overly gelatinous(2 stars). The Mighty Mint Salad was very refreshing and good($ 8 — 4 stars). The Thai Beef Salad seemed a bit sparse in its ingredients(salad-wise) – the beef was ordered medium-rare and came out quite rare but the flank steak was tender and good($ 11 — 3+ stars). The Banh Mi Sando w/Hoisin Pork($ 8 — 3+ stars) was filling but I felt it didn’t have much nuance and the texture reminded me more of pulled pork. The other dish we’ve had was the Indo Rice Bowl($ 7) with Green Curry Chicken(+$ 3.50)…it was a nice meal but bland and my partner had to keep adding sauce from the table(3+ stars). SERVICE: friendly, nice, a little rushed. PRICES: they seem low until you wish to add meat or tofu or something else to make a meal… then it begins to add up. Their spiffy seltzer waters will definitely increase your bill. ATMOSPHERE: as mentioned, it’s noisy and uncomfortable(2+ stars) yet still a nice break from the more traditional restaurants. The menu is fun and interesting and I would try it again — can recommend it as a very casual eatery.
Sanne M.
Tu valoración: 3 Stanford, CA
+ * The Boo Koo dish is yummy and I can recommend it! * Portions are good. Not too big not too small. * The waitress was very attentive. - * The music is a little loud and jumpy. * The beer is served in those cutesy jars. I guess people like it, and I think it is cute for waters and lemonade, but I feel like beer falls flat in a jelly jar. * My husband had the salmon salad that was ok but a little too sour to my taste.
H C.
Tu valoración: 1 Berkeley, CA
Boo Hoo, our asian fusion lunch was not good. We live on the east bay where authentic asian food can be found. We ventured to Marin for a hike and decided to try BooKoo afterwards. The first thing I noticed upon entering the restaurant was the lack of asian cooks, staff or diners. That is usually a red flag… but be open right? The staff was nice but got my order wrong. They quickly corrected it and brought my hoisen pork bahn mi to the table piping hot. But the pork was too chewy and the flavors pretty bland. The bottled plum sauce on the table was very watery. I ended up dumping out the pork and eating just the veggies. Hubs tofu curry dish had no curry flavors. He had to squirt Siracha to spice it up. I do not recommend Boo Koo.
Caroline S.
Tu valoración: 4 San Francisco, CA
Great, casual & trendy asian fusion restaurant. It was a bit loud and there were a lot of kids in the restaurant but I still had a very nice dinner sitting at the bar with a good beer on tap, quick service and great good. My eyes were a bit larger than my stomach, probably should’ve stuck to one app and one entrée(like a normal person). The dishes are loaded with flavor & very rich so I don’t recommend sampling different items unless you are planning on getting a to-go box. Get the asian brussel sprouts to start– they are packed with flavor and great to share. I ordered the Tofu NorCal Pad Thai for my entrée, it was okay– not what I was expecting. It tastes nothing like a traditional pad thai. I also don’t recommend getting the Organic Tofu it was too heavily marinated in soy sauce and not crisp.
Chloe N.
Tu valoración: 1 San Jose, CA
I ordered a chicken teriyaki pad thai + thai ice tea. the box was not even full and total damage was $ 19. And I feel like I paid to buy a bag of salt. Pad Thai was toooooo salty. Thai tea was so blanch. NOTCOMINGBACK.
Thomas E.
Tu valoración: 5 San Francisco, CA
Our family loves BooKoo. The kids menu is healthy and good. And the variety of dishes is great. Thai beef salad and GCN are excellent. And the brussel sprouts are incredible. And it’s takeout friendly. Finally, the beer. They just have the perfect beers on tap to complement their food. Great food. Great ambience. Great service.
David Z.
Tu valoración: 4 San Rafael, CA
I’ve tried Boo Koo the other day and everything I tasted made me want to go back again. I love Asian street food and always make it a point to eat as much of it as I can when traveling over there.(ahhh — such fond memories of street pad thai, spicy crab or noodles from Bangkok/Singapore or Bali). I tried the chili lime salad with wild salmon and it was quite good. There was a sizeable piece of lightly grilled salmon sitting on top of a bed of crunchy sprouts and veggies, some cabbage and vermicelli noodles, and drizzled with a chili lime dressing. Loved every bite of it. My wife got a sweet potato curry dish with brown rice and veggies and it was also very good. The homemade sodas were good — I liked the ginger lime one, but I thought they were pricey at $ 3 a glass. I would have put them in bigger mason jars for that price, as I drank mine down and didn’t order a refill. Still it’s a very good place for casual dining and I loved the meal I had. I will be back!
Andrew S.
Tu valoración: 3 Corte Madera, CA
This placed has changed from its old street noodles feel… Food is ok but not special. Got the green curry with ginger beef, but when you’ve got a wok why all the slow cooked stuff that is mediocre. Atmosphere is cool for a quick meal; beer list and bar is the highlight. I think these guys have the right stuff, just need to put together a better menu and not try to precook everything.
Kyle C.
Tu valoración: 5 San Francisco, CA
Food looks and smells awesome. Haven’t eaten anything yet but the day is young. Here to watch the giants game — the beer selection is on point and the price is right. Bartender and waitstaff are very attentive and friendly. Give this place a chance and if anything doesn’t meet your expectations I’m sure they would be happy to correct it.
Phoebe W.
Tu valoración: 5 Mill Valley, CA
Gained a star on service and food since the popular restaurant expanded to include sit-down dining. Took a group of friends who ordered a little of everything(including gluten free) and they raved about flavors and freshness. I am loyal to the Thai beef salad. My daughter loves the vegi spring rolls. Delicious beer options. Friendly, easy bar. Great lunch or dinner spot.
Orleana P.
Tu valoración: 3 Novato, CA
Loved the Bahmi with pork. The flavors were oustanding. The Bahmi with beef was a little fishy flavored and not my favorite but my son loved it. The red curry once again I was not a big fan but my friend liked it. The green curry I loved the flavor but not a fan of the chard. I felt it was tough. The noodles are good. The pad thai was flavorful I felt but everyone else in my group thought it was to sweet. The food comes out very quick and the veggies all seem very fresh. The item that surprised me the most was the brussel sprouts. I do not usually like them but the way they sautee them, well lets just say the flavor was pretty amazing! The prices are about right for the amount of food you get and right now the only dessert item is the Thai Ice Tea. Just an FYI.
Naomi K.
Tu valoración: 3 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Since Mill valley beerworks was closed the day after Christmas and our short walk around town took us here. It’s a hipster twist on Vietnamese, Thai and Indonesian mix. Maybe I should have stuck with the bahn mi sandwich, but the pad Thai with spicy garlic was mediocre and that is the usual defining dish in a Thai place. The boo koo peanut was their signature dish. It was ok. Even with the suggested hoisin pork, it was mediocre. If you’re asian, you will most likely be disappointed with this joint. This place makes me crave Burma superstar. If you aren’t a fan of Swiss chard, I suggest you stay away from any of the wok fried dishes. The drinks were good though. The fuzzy g and lemon squeeza were both tasty and they have a good selection of brews too. Service was friendly, so if you’re hungry and just need a quick bite to eat, this might be a place for you to go. By the way the woman’s bathroom is a slide door and near the kitchen side. The men’s is past the bar on the other side with«interesting» art work.
Lisa T.
Tu valoración: 2 El Cerrito, CA
The service was sweet and friendly. BUTTHEFOOD, MYGODTHECRAPPYOVERPRICEDFOOD. I rarely get MAD after eating in a restaurant but this place really got me. I can’t believe I spent SEVENTEENDOLLARS for a tiny bowl of white rice and veggies with a piece of salmon the size of an eraser. WITHNOSAUCEORFLAVORING. I asked the waitress, I see on the menu we get veggies and salmon and our choice of sauce? She said, yes there is a bit of sauce on the salmon and it will flavor everything else. What do I get? Miniscule portion of fish, BURNT veggies and white rice. Zero flavoring. I had to ASKFORSOYSAUCE and then had to douse my food with plain soy sauce. Is that pathetic or what? Really, I know, Mill Valley, right?