This new QC restaurant won't call its food authentic, but darn it, it's delicious!

On pretty much all accounts, it's a bit puzzling to see the newly opened BOA Kitchen + Socials packed and buzzing with excitement on a random Thursday.

It's located inside an obscure, half-constructed building in Quezon City after all.

And then we tasted the food. And almost immediately, we were blessed with clarity.

BOA got its name from Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s classic story of The Little Prince — how this figure that everyone assumed was a hat was actually an elephant inside a boa constrictor.

And just like the giant snake, this restaurant is more than meets the eye. It's always evolving and changing.

The modern industrial decor was minimal but impactful, thanks to the edison lamps and neon lights on the ceiling. The walls and floor are unpainted cement — with the staunch gray walls featuring brightly colored designs, almost like built-in art installations.

According to BOA’s founder and owner Joey Marcelo, the decor was deliberately sparse to make it easier to change motifs when the occasion calls for it. The 68-seater restaurant could even expand to 90 seats when needed.

It took Joey and BOA’s executive chef Julius Necor about two years to put their concept into action, but only about a month to finalize their lunch and dinner menus.

The two men describe their food as an interpretation of the dishes that captured their hearts (mostly on their travels), like Char Kway Teow and Laksa. They wouldn’t say it’s authentic cuisine, but it’s definitely straightforward and delicious.

And they're quite affordable, too. Dishes are priced between P180-P500 a plate, while cocktails are from P260-P300. 

The word “kitchen” in its name represents the lunch service, where they usually expect large groups of friends and families who want to enjoy great wholesome food away from the usual fast food chain. Here, BOA serves elevated Asian and Western cuisine with Chef Julius’ own twist.

Meanwhile, the “socials” part of BOA’s name begins at night, when the hungry party crowd comes in after a long day at work. Their dinner menu features more Asian fare and we couldn’t be happier.

— LA, GMA News

BOA Kitchen + Socials, Mezzanine Floor, ABDC Building, 45 Scout Rallos, Brgy. Laging Handa, Quezon City. +632 2903103, 9 a.m. - 11 p.m.