Poke has made international headlines for about five years, though news of how this quintessential Hawaiian dish is presented beyond our shores is often greeted with dismay.
The gist of the criticism is, “That’s not how we do it here,” and the word authenticity comes into play.
Yes, we own authenticity, but even here, poke continues to evolve as tastes change and broaden. Some of us are creatures of habit who want the tried-and-true formulas, and some of us crave new flavor combinations and sensations.
A couple of new poke shops deliver on both counts.
POKEWAY
>> Don Quijote, 801 Kaheka St., 955-2868; open 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily
>> Bishop Place, 1132 Bishop St., Suite 143; open 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays
Chris Lee and Richard Choe were childhood friends who combined their strengths to open the first Pokeway in downtown Honolulu about a year ago.
They recently opened a second shop outside of Don Quijote, Kaheka, and with the success of their “Hawaiian salad bar” concept are planning to expand to other neighborhoods.
Lee’s father is a long-line fisherman who always brought home an abundance of fish. Dining at home meant going through the rounds of raw, fried and grilled fish, until the last of it was mixed into mandoo.
Choe hails from a family of restaurateurs and is the owner of the popular plate-lunch haven Richie’s Drive-Inn Kalihi.
They conceived Pokeway as a healthy salad bar with customized poke as the centerpiece.
Choose your rice (white, brown or multigrain comprising Korean black rice and quinoa); and/or greens such as a spring mix, romaine lettuce or spinach; then your protein, sauce, sides and toppings for a glorious poke bowl made your way. Doesn’t get better than that.
In addition to offering ahi, hamachi, tako and salmon (imported from Scotland), Lee said they added cooked shrimp and crawfish after listening to customers who said they couldn’t stomach raw fish. Diced grilled chicken — believe it or not — also works with their poke sauces.
“It may be a personal preference, but it’s a really good substitute for fish,” Lee said.
Other proteins offered include tofu and kalua pork.
Sauces range from bright yuzu-wasabi, my favorite with hamachi, to the popular creamy sesame, and for those who want a little heat kick, Crazy Mango Habanero.
Rather than marinating all the ingredients together, the poke is made to order with toppings added at the last minute so that greens retain their freshness and brightness, and toppings of crispy garlic, onions and soybeans retain their crunch.
Also special is spicy tuna made from fresh sashimi-grade ahi, instead of remnants of unsold fish (heavy mayo creams are often a cover for age). Only a limited quantity is available daily.
Bowls start at $8.95 for one protein choice and all the sides and toppings you want. Cost for two proteins is $10.95, and for three is $12.95.
OFF THE HOOK POKE MARKET
2908 E. Manoa Road (across from Manoa Marketplace, near Starbucks), 800-6865; open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays (may close earlier when poke sells out)
Visitors to this new Manoa poke market might recognize Tomoki Ito, who operated the lunchwagon at the Yajima-ya gas station at Keeaumoku and King streets, where he was known for such cooked specialties as mushroom chicken, pork ginger and wafu steak.
He always wanted to launch a poke truck, but partnered with renaissance man JP Lam (international singer-songwriter, formerly with the Dukes of Surf, and host of KIKU’s “Itadakimasu”) to open a small shop across from Manoa Marketplace.
Their morning starts at the fish auction, where they get the ahi that goes into their poke.
The hungry can purchase poke — for now limited to tuna and octopus — by weight, or build bowls that start with a mini ($9.99, I can make two meals out of this size, about a third of a pound of poke) or regular ($11.99, about half a pound of poke). They come with a choice of greens, brown rice or sushi rice made healthier with an infusion of spinach. Then choose from about a dozen ready-made poke options such as the self-explanatory wasabi-furikake ahi (my favorite), shoyu ahi or miso- ginger tako.
Some of the most popular are those that introduce flavors not commonly associated with poke, such as the Japan Deluxe. This one suits Ito’s taste, formed growing up in Nagoya, where he said bold flavor profiles strong in salt, soy and sugar are similar to Hawaii’s — compared with lighter flavors preferred elsewhere in Japan.
The Japan Deluxe incorporates shoyu, miso and shiso, while the cold ginger ahi borrows its sauce idea from a beloved Chinese favorite, cold ginger chicken, with its blend of ginger and green onions.
Even a standard like spicy ahi has a twist, made with a touch of dashi for extra umami.
It’s best to stop by early for the best selection as the shop sometimes sells out by 3 p.m. and closes early. Ito said they will try to buy more fish, particularly on the weekends.
Don’t miss the shave ice ($3.75 for one or two flavors) with a pour of house-made syrups made with fresh fruit. Currently mango, strawberry and haupia are offered, and I really couldn’t pick a favorite. They’re all good alone, and in combination.
Nadine Kam’s restaurant reviews are conducted anonymously and paid for by the Star-Advertiser. Reach her at nkam@staradvertiser.com.
