“Boketto” means “daydream” in Japanese, and it was Kaskaid Hospitality co-owner Kam Talebi’s daydream to open an Asian-inflected steakhouse in the image of those in Miami, New York and Los Angeles. The daydream turned into reality in mid-September, when Boketto opened at the West End in St. Louis Park next door to sister restaurant Crave, taking over the space that briefly housed Lucky Cricket.
St. Louis Park gets a flashy new steakhouse from the Crave team
The vibrant West End restaurant Boketto has coastal vibes and a menu that leans “Mediterr-Asian.”
The Minnesota Star Tribune
September 25, 2024 at 12:00PM
Lucky Cricket’s tuk tuk is long gone from the room, which has been opened up and handsomely redone (by Shea Design) in dark wood with dramatic lighting and floral and peacock blue accents. The facade has been whitewashed and adorned with potted greenery, an entrance that could place it in sun-dapped California. A DJ booth made of marbled white stone signals that the “lounge” nights, which go until 2 a.m. on weekends, are thumping; the opening weekend guest DJ was from Miami and Ibiza.
The coastal-party details almost threaten to distract from the menu, from executive chef Brendan McDonald (with input from Kaskaid’s corporate executive chef Peter Botcher). That is, until a server ambles up to the table with a cart and a show involving a sushi roll and a torch, or a cocktail and a smoke-filled chamber.
Where: 1607 West End Blvd., St. Louis Park, 952-204-3171, bokettorestaurant.com
Hours: Lunch: 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Mon.-Fri.; dinner: 5-9 p.m. Sun.-Thu., 5-10 p.m. Fri.-Sat.; lounge: 11 p.m.-2 a.m. Fri.-Sat.; bar: opens daily at 4 p.m.
The food: The direction is “Mediterr-Asian,” with dishes that are firmly in each camp — no fusion here. We’d recommend choosing one path to follow: delicate beef carpaccio to start, some pasta; or the highlight Boketto roll (the one that’s torched tableside), fall-apart short rib stuffed into bao buns, scallops in Thai vinaigrette. Either direction leads you to the steaks for the main event, and there are three categories from which to sample: Japanese A5 wagyu, priced per ounce; Australian Jade wagyu; and certified angus beef prime. Lunch has some sandwich-y additions, including three versions of burgers. Whatever you do, start with the Japanese milk bread, and don’t miss the thick-cut truffle fries.
It’s worth noting that many dishes, including the steaks, overlap with the menu at Kaskaid Hospitality’s Butcher’s Tale in downtown Minneapolis.
The drinks: Besides the aforementioned tableside cocktails, one of which is smoked in a glass box, there is a list of (rather stiff) drinks, many of them employing Japanese spirits. There are plenty of wines by the glass, too.
Prices: It’s saying something when the prices aren’t included in the online menus. Boketto’s prices aren’t unreasonable, by New York/Miami/L.A. steakhouse standards, or even compared to Butcher’s Tale. But frequenters of West End restaurants might find themselves struggling with sticker shock.
Starters run $11 (for the milk bread) to $32 for wagyu nigiri with caviar; truffle fries are $14. The “cold bar” starts at $16 for four oysters to $190 for a large seafood tower. (The signature Boketto roll, with foie gras and wagyu, is $30.) “Signatures,” or non-steak mains, are mostly in the $30s and $40s, with the exception of the $59 lobster pappardelle (for a lower-cost alternative, try the side dish of lobster mac and cheese for $18). Expect to drop the most on steaks. Filet for example: an 8-ounce angus beef prime filet is $55, Japanese wagyu is $25 per ounce, and the Australian wagyu filet is $120. There is an assortment of sides $11 and up. Cocktails start at $14; the tableside smoked old fashioned is $35.
