Bo Ky

I’m standing on Bayard street with a friend on a cold Friday night. What’s the warmest food we can get on the block? Bo Ky’s fare isn’t just warm because it literally is served piping hot, but also because, in my opinion, at least, is the homiest food on the block. Sitting down a bowl of noodles with fish balls is one of the most comfoorting feelings one can have.

One of the most unpretentious spots in town, the service is quick and direct, but not rude. The restaurant offers a classic Chinatown vibe: roast ducks hanging in the front, a mix of regulars and tourists chowing down the Chinese-Vietnamese grub, and the sound of the meat cleaver laying down a beat in the background.

The food belongs to an obscure category of overseas Chinese cooking that is relatively unknown. Like the many Chinese people who left home for Malaysia, Singapore, or Indonesia, the people of Chaozhou, Fujian province brought their cooking abroad to Vietnam, where it remained mostly true to itself but also took on some aspects of Vietnamese cuisine.

Bo Ky has many dishes available, but they excel in noodle soup and anything fish-related. The bouncy yet firm texture of the fish balls teleported me to a street food stall across the ocean. One of the most difficult textures to recreate, I have yet to find another one so spot on in New York. One interesting dish they serve is the cuttlefish dumpling noodle soup, which is not like what you’re probably picturing right now. Unlike a normal dumpling or wonton with skin made of flour, these dumplings’ skin is made with the same material as their interiors: cuttlefish meat. It allows for even more bounciness.

The carbs are also not to be ignored at Bo Ky. Each bowl of noodle soup comes with the option of either wheat or rice noodles. Both are equally alluring and homemade. The noodles are thin and al dente; they match the texture of the cuttlefish delectably. The other option, the wide rice noodles, compliment whatever protein might be in the bowl, but in a different way. They aren’t pretty, being freshly steamed and hand-cut daily, but have a silky smooth feel on the lips and feel like a softer version of mochi on the teeth. While the wheat compliments, the rice juxtaposes.

Finally, the soup gives us the perfect background for our noodle soup. Made daily from boiling beef bones, the soup has a deep, almost creamy, flavor without being thick in texture. It’s so good you won’t even need water to wash down everything.

While the noodle soup is some of the best in the City, there are some hidden gems at Bo Ky. I spotted and then ordered the braised intestine rice, and I have no regrets. Somewhat like a Taiwanese 滷肉飯 (lu rou fan), the dish was simply intestine with some soy sauce on rice. The crunchiness of the innards almost matched the consistency of squid, and the salty and slightly sweet soy sauce helped amplify its mild flavor. I would certainly recommend this dish if you’re getting tired of noodle soup.

Bo Ky is one of those places that serves unadulterated, authentic fare. It also offers the classic Chinatown restaurant experience. Don’t come expecting glamour; the restaurant’s grit makes the food taste better.