These two restaurants are among Boise’s best-reviewed. Now they’ll team up
It’s fair to describe Korean street food gem Koco Bell as under the radar.
Same for sushi and Burmese destination Nanzaya.
But underrated? No way. Both Boise restaurants enjoy phenomenal online reviews — thanks to loyal, in-the-know customer bases.
Koco Bell, 2999 N. Lakeharbor Lane, is rated 4.9 out of 5 stars on Google and 4.8 on Yelp.
Nanzaya, 4628 W. State St. gets 4.8 and a perfect 5, respectively. (My teenage son crushes the California rolls he buys there.)
Better yet, the two Asian restaurants soon will work together, Koco Bell co-owner Mariela Kang said — as Koco Bell’s footprint expands.
New owners, same concept
In less than two weeks, Koco Bell — which marks its five-year anniversary Saturday — will be taken over by new ownership. Mariela and her husband, owner-chef Jaikoo “Steve” Kang, are selling and moving on to grow the concept, she said.
The transition will not impact the beloved Koco Bell menu, Mariela promised — with a small exception. Teriyaki and boba will be added to the array of authentic Korean and fusion food, which ranges from Korean drinks and kimbap to sushi, barbecue boxes and Korean corn dogs.
Meanwhile, a second Koco Bell outlet is in the works this summer with a different menu focus.
Koco Bell at Nanzaya
Probably by the end of June, Mariela said, Steve plans to add a Koco Bell one-two punch to Nanzaya’s sushi blitz. Sharing space with Nanzaya, he primarily will focus on Korean fried chicken and katsu, a breaded-cutlet dish, she said.
The Korean fried chicken will be similar in style to the delicious, crispy bird served at Vons Chicken in Meridian and Han’s Chimaek in Boise, Mariela said.
Anniversary month
As the Kangs enjoy their final days at Koco Bell on Lakeharbor, they are celebrating the brand’s five-year anniversary. During the month of May, Koco Bell is selling a special meal with triangle kimbap, Korean coffee and a Korean souvenir.
There also are five raffle baskets — the grand prize being a round-trip ticket to Korea. Buying any combo special earns an entry into the plane raffle. Purchasing anything else gets a ticket for the other raffles. Multiple entries are allowed — one per day — until winners are revealed May 31.
Started as a parking-lot food stand, Koco Bell has evolved into one of the city’s best-kept secrets. OK, not secrets, exactly. “We have people coming from Idaho Falls,” Mariela said.
Now it’s time to reach for the stars. As her husband focuses on crafting mouthwatering Korean fried chicken at the planned Nanzaya offshoot, she will shift attention to growing the Koco Bell brand.
“We’re going to expand even bigger,” Mariela said. “That is what my job is now.”
This story was originally published May 9, 2025 at 4:00 AM.