Pizza in a cone, Boise? It works fine. Korean BBQ in a cup? It needs a little work

I understand the trepidation when it comes to trying new food. We often like what we like and what we are comfortable with, and that is good enough.

So for a couple of new reviews, I bastardized a famous saying: “Cups and cones won’t break my bones, and new foods can’t hurt me.” With that in mind, I headed to a pair of new spots on the Boise food scene, Cupbop and Coned Pizza.

Cupbop

This chain has locations in four Western states and serves up Korean BBQ in a cup. It comes with the protein of your choice, rice, noodles and a cabbage mix — which you will shake together with a sauce at a spice level of your choosing.

The concept is an intriguing one. I went into the Boise location at 298 N. 8th St. downtown and encountered a clean and organized room, with a food line set up similar to many other fast-casual restaurants. I tried two different proteins offered: the Korean Style BBQ Chicken and the Spicy Fried Chicken, as recommended by the server behind the counter. I also tried the Mandoo, which is their version of fried pot stickers.

I got my food with a level 4 spice (that’s out of 10) and followed the instructions to shake it up, making sure everything was combined well. The problem was, even though I made sure the lid was secure, it kept loosening, which made it hard to mix. I gave up quickly and just ended up using a fork, which actually was easier.

I was excited about the food in front of me because of the pleasant experience I had in the shop, from the wait staff to the aesthetic, but the meal didn’t match my expectations.

Though the texture was very pleasant, the food itself was lacking. The fried chicken had a nice crunch but came up short in the flavor department. The chicken’s main flavor was salt, and it was rather bland. The noodles and rice both were good on their own, but they were also lacking in flavor. The yakisoba noodles provided a good chew and feel but were essentially just salty. The cabbage offered a nice bit of freshness to the sodium-packed dish, but the Asian slaw mix wasn’t dressed, so even though it was a nice change in texture, it was flavorless. The dish overall was just too busy.

I then tried the Korean BBQ, which was also very salty but at least had a nice umami component with a soy sauce marinade. Though I enjoyed the flavor more on that, I did bite down on a small bone, which kind of soured me on the dish from then on.

The pot stickers had a nice crunch to them and were savory. They were paired with a slightly spicy and sweet sauce, and these were actually my favorite part of the meal.

Overall, though, I’m afraid I won’t return anytime soon. Cupbob is still new at this location, and I am hoping they’re just getting their kitchen in order. I still like the concept and the fact that it’s a decent price ($6-$10 per item, with most cups at $7.50 or $8.50).

Coned Pizza

A few days later, I went with a co-worker to try ... pizza in a cone?

Yes, Coned Pizza has a new spot at 103 N. 10th St. in Boise. This is its second brick-and-mortar location in the Treasure Valley, with the first being in Meridian. That spot opened after a few years of the owners’ success running a food truck.

I must admit, I was skeptical. As a teenager who frequently burned the hell out of my mouth on pizza rolls, I had slight PTSD from those little nuggets of cheese-filled lava, and since this is essentially a gargantuan cone-shaped pizza roll, I had to take a deep breath, put on my brave face and head in anyway.

I walked in and noticed the clean, freshly decorated space and appreciated the easy-to-understand menu right away. (They also had a first-week special on 16oz. Pabst Blue Ribbon cans, for 50 cents, so we were off to a good start.) I ordered my cone — technically the $7 veggie, but I subbed pepperoni for the the mushroom. There was no charge or judgment for substitutions. I paid and then watched with glee as they put it together and put it in the oven.

They take a partially baked cone and fill it with cheese, then sauce and then toppings — and repeat that order once more before topping it with a little more cheese. The cones go into a customized convection oven.

Coned is owned by Marina and Tyler Blake, and Marina told me they were inspired to start this business after trying something very similar from a street vendor in Italy. She also mentioned that one cone is equivalent to roughly two slices of standard pizza.

I watched my meal rotate and cook in the oven, and then finally, there it was: a golden-brown cone, stuffed with toppings, and smelling heavenly. I asked for a side of ranch and sat down to go to town.

The pizza cones are served on a holding rack to let them cool, which I appreciated, and after about 2 minutes, I took my first bite. The crust was a little tougher than I usually prefer, but it had to be to sustain the ingredients, and it had nice flavor. The cheese both on top and in the center was perfectly melted, which pleasantly surprised me, because I wasn’t sure it would be possible.

The toppings were standard, but they were highlighted by the lightly sweet, rich tomato sauce, and the mozzarella added a salty, chewy, slightly greasy bonus to the bites. The cone maintained its structure throughout, and it paired nicely with the herbaceous ranch dip.

The novelty is in the shape, of course. The flavor profile is essentially the same as a standard slice of good pizza, but I enjoyed the experience and was glad to support a local, innovative restaurant, so I will happily go back.