Kapow Noodle Bar

Reviews 6

TA

Tang Keith

4 stars bar, 1 star food. So I give it 2 stars as average. Great location in Mizner Park. downtown Boca Raton. Beautiful shops and open walk space, a pretty stylish bar and good design, nice menu. Feels great sitting outside and live band. However, those are all the good points. Once you start ordering. It quickly goes down hill from here. First shock is menu price. $17 for a bowl of Vietnamese pho is a new high for me. All noodle dish averaging $17- $20. Well, you gotta pay for the nice location I guess. We ordered Duck Pho, Rock Shrimp Pad Thai, Mushroom Chow Fun, and Tonkotsu Pork Belly Ramen. Starting with the duck pho. This is a disaster. For $17, this bowl is the size of an appetizer, the soup is bland, noodle wasnt cooked thru, soup wasnt even hot enough to soften the bean sprouts. So it was just floating there raw, a few basil leaves would be nice. Instead of the regular Vietnamese garlic chili paste, they serve it with the Chinese dau ban jiang, a fermented bean paste, which is creative and it even looks nice, but I put a small amount into the soup and I knew it was a really bad choice, dou pan Jiang is such an unapologetic and overpowering kind of strong flavor that it completely changed the whole noodle soups character, does not go well with the fresh limey, light fragrant taste of a pho noodle. It was probably good intention but an obvious wrong choice. Rock Shrimp Pad Thai would not be so bad if it isnt the sweetest pad thai I have ever tasted. It really should be on the dessert menu! Seriously, why does all Thai Restaurants in South Florida think Thai food should be all sweet and neglect all other layers of Thai food flavor? Lucky the dau ban jiang works in this dish. The worst one is the Tonkotsu Ramen, the chef is so bad here that he doesnt even realize the word tonkotsu means pork bone, and it has to be in a rich pork bone soup. You cannot put a piece of pork belly on top of a noodle and call it tonkotsu. Its like putting a slice of lime on top of cheese cake and calling it key lime pie. The stir fry vegetable is burnt so the soup becomes bitter, and the noodle isnt even ramen. Its just some egg noodle bought from a Chinese grocery store. Soft and soggy noodle. To my surprise, the chow fun isnt that bad, and this is the hardest one to make. The bok choy is crispy, sauce flavor is balanced. But I still cant give credit to the chef though. It just happens that they bought the chow fun noodle and it was pretty fresh. No they did not make that noodle. Every noodle here are bought from a Chinese grocery, or distributor. Chef clearly has no clue what Asian noodles are suppose to taste like let alone making them. Kapow Noodle Bar will continue to be a busy place simply because of the location. But the food is such a shameful representation of Asian cuisine that it feels like a fraud.

---

IV

Ivan Breger

We LOVE Kapow! The Decor is Hip and Eco Conscious. There is a HUGE mural on the wall, steel beams and reclaimed wood walls and floors. The menu is so diverse, there is something for everyone. Since Kapow! promotes relaxed, communal dining, they offer Small or Big Plates, Noodles and Steamed Buns instead of apps/dinners. Our favorite small plates are Wok Charred Edamame, made with toasted sesame oil/ smoked sea salt and Beef Yukke - Korean style beef tartare with truffled brioche crisps,Asian Pear and Wasabi Sour Cream. The flavor of these plates are like A Party in our Mouths! Add a few Steamed Buns to the mix, like the Pork Belly or the Duck Confit and my Tongue goes Wild!! It gets better - The Pan Seared Diver Scallops with bok choy, green curry sauce, rice and straw mushrooms, To Die For!! The Kapow! staff is really knowledgeable about the menu, friendly and very efficient. Every time we go to Kapow!, my gf orders one of their Signature cocktails, the Kiwi Caipiroska (Tito’s vodka/ Rock Sake/ kiwi slices/ lime/ simple syrup) - Quoting her, "YUMMO!" Bottom Line - Kapow! ROCKS!!!!

---

JO

Josh Gordon

Kapow! has quickly become one of my favorite restaurants! Every time we visit (weve been four times so far), weve had spectacular experiences. The food, the service, the vibe - all of it has been 1,000% top notch. We typically start with the wok-charred edamame... Its like no edamame weve had before - its saucy, unique, and delicious! Other favorite appetizers include the shishitou peppers (wow!), the Korean BBQ Beef steamed buns (like a little Asian tacos, filled with bits of amazing), and the recently departed brussels sprouts w/ bacon (RIP - dearly missed)... When hitting the "Big Plates," weve tried almost all of em! We both loved the skirt steak, but we each had our own individual favorites: my fiancee has ordered the Diver Scallops in Green Curry sauce on more than one occasion, while my mouth waters at the thought of Kapows Miso Black Cod (phenomenal!)... On top of all of this, the bar is always stocked with unique cocktails and an excellent selection of craft beers (plus all-natural Boylans sodas)... Run - dont walk - to Kapow! You will never be disappointed!

---

AL

Alex A

My boyfriend mother and I came in tonight. Used to be my favorite restaurant I was so excited to take my boyfriend. New menu, was still excited to try it!! Worse service of my entire life. Anna is by far the rudest waitress I have ever come across in all my years dining in Boca. Is she related to someone who owns this place because I dont know how else shed last. This used to be my favorite place in boca. I will now never return. We returned tuna tacos that were partially frozen, she proceeds to tell us nothing is ever frozen there and trys to give it back to us. The manager then tells us they must freeze the fish to kill bacteria. So obviously shes not knowledgeable. Threw our check on the table and was so incredibly angry making comments rolling her eyes?????! Telling us to take her name and yelling at us that she told her mangers about "us." We returned tuna... Managers only response was "wow I will talk to her." ?.... Never have I ever come across something like this girl. Wow!!

---

PA

Paul Steven

My mouth waters every time I see the pictures again and again on my "social media feeds" at what Kapow Noodle Bar, Boca Raton broadcasts. Its time my social media media isnt doing all the feeding here. My wife and I have an insatiable appetite for fun good food. We know Kapow wont let us down. The location is perfect. Right in one of the hearts of Boca Raton, FL, USA. Go eat Kapow and then walk around the shops of Mizner Park. Promises to be a great fun tasty stop especially if your traveling for business or pleasure to south Florida from other states or countries. We have gotten to know the owners through social media and in person and their interests in the environment, good food, fun, charity, organic and more prove again and again, that their business and food ventures will stand the test of time. Go Kapow. They say, once you go Kapow, you cant go back. LOL! Thumbs UP for Kapow!!

---

BR

Brent McAhren

Ive yet to be disappointed by any of the food offerings. Their craft beer selection is always on-point, both in draft and bottle. This restaurant is owned by the same restaurant next door, the Dubliner, which has equally as good food. It comes as no surprise that theyve done it again. The ramen is incredible and the steamed buns are so delicious I wish I could use that bread for all of my meals. There is nothing bad I could say about this place. If you are averse to spicy food be sure to ask your waiter which items would be best for you, there are many but I am unsure of how they are marked on the menu. The happy hour is 5-7 where you can get most food items for $4, craft beer for $5, and Sapporo for $4. Highly recommended.

---

---