This Boise restaurant opened — but soon closed. Now it’s ‘thrilled’ to be back

The amusement park ride is over for a downtown Boise restaurant.

Now the fun can really begin.

Koco Bell Express, 116 N. 5th St., has reopened. The grab-and-go restaurant, which debuted in December, closed weeks later for a kitchen upgrade. Red tape involved in the renovation was more than owners Steve and Mariela Kang anticipated.

The process “took us to a roller coaster with the city permits,” Mariela Kang told the Idaho Statesman.

But the restaurant has soft-opened again. “We are thrilled to welcome you back to Koco Bell Express,” it posted Wednesday on Instagram. “... Come enjoy your favorite dishes and check out our new menu!!”

Familiar dishes such as Korean street toast, bibimbap bowls, and bento and barbecue boxes remain. New items include a Korean fried chicken burrito and bulgogi pizza, both served Wednesdays and Fridays only.

If you purchase a meal during the official grand reopening — which is March 20 — you’ll get a free small cup of Korean fish cake soup, according to Koco Bell’s Instagram page.

Hours? 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.

Michael Deeds

Idaho Statesman

208-377-6407

Michael Deeds is a long-serving entertainment reporter and opinion columnist at the Idaho Statesman, where he chronicles the Boise good life: restaurants, concerts, culture, cool stuff. He started as a summer intern after graduating from the University of Nebraska with a news-editorial journalism degree. Deeds’ prior Statesman roles have included sportswriter, music critic and features editor. His other writing has ranged from freelancing album reviews for The Washington Post to bragging about Boise in that inflight magazine you left on the plane.