‘Hidden gem’ food stand opens new Boise restaurant Tuesday with ‘more of everything’

If you loved Koco Bell, start working up an appetite.

The recently closed Korean street food stand is returning to action this week — as a restaurant in west Boise.

Koco Bell will open its doors at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, July 13, at 13601 W. McMillan Road. The 1,334-square-foot restaurant is in the former Poke Vibes spot at McMillan’s Corner strip mall.

Co-owner Jaikoo “Steve” Kang earned an enthusiastic following after launching his red food stand a year ago next to a Stinker gas station at Five Mile and Ustick roads. The word “delicious” appears in multiple Yelp reviews, where Koco Bell earned a five-star rating. Praising the kimbap, one customer wrote, “I would call Koco Bell a hidden gem in Boise.”

The new Koco Bell restaurant will have an expanded menu, offering sushi in addition to its popular Korean choices.

“We’re going to have more kimbap, more barbecue boxes ... more of everything,” co-owner Mariela Kang said.

Koco Bell’s menu offers a variety of Korean fusion cuisine. A popular option is the Korean BBQ Box ($9.95, Korean-style barbecue pork with rice, kimchi and yellow pickled radish). Or grab a Bulgogi Burrito ($7.50) or Bulgogi Sandwich ($7.80). Several dishes can be ordered in spicy versions for a few dimes more, and you get to select from five heat levels.

Customers also rave about the traditional Korean Ginger Tea ($3.75, cinnamon, jujube, ginger and honey — served hot or cold).

The restaurant also will have a children’s menu, Mariela Kang said.

As for the sushi? Expect a little Koco Bell flair, she said — like an option served in a bowl with a Korean sauce available in spicy or regular.

Koco Bell will be open from 11:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays and 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Fridays through Sundays.

This story was originally published July 13, 2021 at 4:00 AM.