If discovering that the name is an acronym for Bold, Original Kitchen Artistry makes you want to throw a pomegranate-infused Molotov cocktail through a giant plate-glass window, BOKA’s probably not for you. Service can be snooty at times; the interior is the kind of sexy that probably carries a corporate trademark; and the menu lacks focus.

But if you’re tired of the “rustic chic” being peddled so hard all over town, and don’t want to go into the heart of darkness (i.e. Belltown), then BOKA’s a passable place to spend some money, feel fancy, and have a few interesting cocktails (lemongrass dry soda, yellow bell pepper, and Aviation gin? Nice.).

Happy hour is the best time to visit, bringing with it $3 and $6 small plates, $9 burgers, and discounted cocktails, and taking away a good bit of BOKA’s sticker shock.

The kitchen is competent. Small plates are all over the place (house-made pretzels, ahi tartare with salsa verde, quail egg, parmesan crackers), while some gourmet flourishes scale the heights of laziness or pretentiousness (waygu beef hot dogs, fries with truffle oil), but mains are simpler and more focused: simply cooked quality cuts of local meat and fish with light sauces and sides. Still, it’s far from enough to justify the prices and pretense here.