Poke served to perfection at these Bay Area eateries.
Head to these hot spots
It’s just raw fish — traditionally ahi — tossed in a bowl with rice, vegetables and sauce. So what makes some poke shops fantastic and others forgettable? The freshness of the fish, of course, but also the variety of the mix-ins (kelp noodles, anyone?) and crunchy toppings. Here are several Bay Area poke shops — from Castro Valley to San Jose — where the poke is simply outstanding.
Pokeatery, Castro Valley
Address: Lake Chabot Public Market, 18911 Lake Chabot Road, Castro Valley; second location in San Mateo Contact: 510-470-3130; www.pokeatery.com
Hours: 11:30 a.m.-8 p.m. daily
The family who started Pokeatery has more than 20 years of experience in sushi restaurants, and it shows in the quality and diversity of their fish. Build your custom poke box ($12.50) around tender, buttery hamachi (yes, hamachi at a poke shop), octopus, shrimp or the usual ahi, salmon, albacore or tofu.
Even if you don’t select it as your base, ask for a sample of the snappy, glasslike kelp noodles — they’re made in-house and have an irrepressible crunch. You’ll definitely want the ulu (also known as breadfruit) potato chips, too, which are made in Hawaii. Just ask your poke artist to tuck them into the corner of the box so they don’t get soggy from the wasabi citrus, spicy mayo or whatever fabulous sauce you choose. Among our favorite toppings: spicy tempura flakes, pineapple, kukui nut and Hawaiian salt.
And don’t bypass this trendy melange of Instagram value: Pokecado Toast ($10.50), two slices of As Kneaded Bakery’s rustic sourdough with sesame, smothered in avocado and topped with arugula and poke. Choose one of their signature creations — spicy, crab-and-tuna West Coast Toast or salmon-based Toastess with the Mostess — or customize your own.
Hawaiian Poke Bowl, San Jose
Address: SoFA Market, 387 S. First St., San Jose
Contact: 408-564-8393; hawaiianpokebowl.com
Hours: 11:30 a.m.-9 p.m. weekdays, until 10 p.m. Saturday and 7 p.m. Sunday
Step up to the bright, colorful counter at this trendy market hall and you can sample the super fresh shoyu ahi, salmon or spicy ahi, topped with jalapeño, avocado and pickled ginger. Can’t decide? Get a combo bowl with two big scoops served over rice or greens. Then grab a seat in the market; the staff will bring your poke bowl to your table.
Owners Carlos Pereira and Marcia Ribeiro launched their poke shop as a popup fish eatery in 2010; now SoFA is their home base, with fish, including wild salmon, sourced according to the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch sustainable-fish guidelines.
A Combo Bowl ($15), for example, showcases the earthy umami flavors of Shoyu Ahi poke balanced with the creaminess and heat of the Spicy Wild Salmon. If you’re in the mood for just one, Spicy Ahi ($13) or Shoyu Wild Salmon ($13) are other tasty options. If you’re a tofu lover, go for the Asian flavors in the Organic Tofu Bowl ($11). Wash it all down with fresh watermelon or pineapple juice ($4) for a taste of the islands.
Pokeworks, Mountain View
Address: 211Castro St., Mountain View; with another location in San Jose and soon in Cupertino and San Francisco, as well Contact: 650-336-0058; www.pokeworks.com
Hours: 11 a.m.-9 p.m. weekdays, until 8 p.m. weekends
Responsibly sourced seafood and sustainable ingredients are the cornerstones of this small poke chain, which started in 2015 with help from Top Chef alum Sheldon Simeon, chefowner of Maui’s Tin Roof.
Pokeworks offers eight Signature Works ($10.95 regular, $13.50 large) inspired by Hawaii’s cultural melange, including Shiso Salmon (Atlantic salmon, green and sweet onions, edamame, cucumber, sesame seeds, fresh shiso and ponzu sauce) and Umami Classic (ahi, green and sweet onions, hijiki seaweed, cucumber, sesame seeds, umami shoyu sauce).
Prefer to build your own? Start with the mode of poke — bowl, burrito or salad — then choose your proteins. The ahi, albacore and salmon were all super fresh on our visits — not a watery chunk in sight. Don’t do raw fish? They’ve got tofu and chicken, too. But what we love most about Pokeworks is the variety of sauces, mix-ins and toppings that go beyond the norm. Think chopped shiso, diced mangoes, two kinds of seaweed (hijiki and ogo plus seaweed salad, of course) and seven items under “Choose a Crunch” including lotus chips, garlic crisps and the most addictive toasted rice puffs. Wash it down with a bottomless Tropical Iced Green Tea ($3) tinged with passion fruit and rose petals.
Local Poke, Pleasanton
Address: 6700 Santa Rita Road, Pleasanton Contact: 281-844-5445; www.facebook.com/Localpoke. Hours: Daily 11:30 a.m.-8:30 p.m. daily
This fast-casual poke counter is the Chipotle of the Hawaiian genre. Choose one of three standard bowls and customize your order by choosing among four sides and five mix-ins — or create your own, following the steps outlined on signs. Most people get poke bowls to go, but there are two tables inside and several on the sidewalk, if you prefer to eat in.
Local Poke’s signature is its combination of strong flavors and seasonings. The Ahi Poke ($10) shines with buttery ahi tossed with a poki sauce of ginger, vinegar and chile-spiked soy, as well as sesame oil, cucumber, ginger and crunchy macadamia nuts. Sweet Chili Poke ($9.95) offers ahi, sake and tako — and when they say spicy, they mean it. Or go big with Local’s Poke Nachos ($11.95), which includes ahi, salmon and hamachi drizzled with sweet unagi sauce (eel sauce with soy and brown sugar) and spicy mayo, crisp fried wontons and all four sides — crab, spicy crab, spicy tuna and a wakame or seaweed salad.