Poké is a trendy Hawaiian cuisine with rice, raw fish, and vegetables served in a bowl. All trendy foods need articles to review them, so we went to three different poké places and compared them.
Sam's order: Regular bowl of white rice with spicy tuna, shrimp, seaweed salad, ginger, and crab meat, topped with spicy mayo.
Tatum's order: Regular bowl of brown rice with salmon, albacore, seaweed salad, green onion, edamame, and cilantro, topped with ponzu sauce.
Poke Haus
Sherman Oaks
Rate: 9.5/10
Poke Haus is a Hawaiian-themed restaurant. Its walls were a calming blue, containing pictures of the beach; overall, the environment was tranquil and well-decorated, but noise pollution from the cars on the street overpowered the silence. No music was playing.
Sam:
The rice here was slightly dry, but it was fluffy, soft, and carried the flavor well. The spicy tuna was flavorful, but it was not spicy enough for my taste. The shrimp, however, was the best from the three restaurants, as it was squishy but not gross with a nice amount of salt. The spicy mayo was very spicy and made the flavor of the entire bowl pop. The ginger was too strong for me, yet the seaweed salad was sweet and the texture of the crab balanced out the texture of the tuna and rice.
Tatum:
The ponzu sauce here complimented my fish well. The seaweed salad was very flavorful and had a nice texture, which I enjoyed. There was no regular onion, despite being on menu, so I had to get green onion instead. The green onion was too sweet and gave me a headache, and the cilantro was also oddly sweet. I think the food could have incorporated more spice and less sweetness. The flavor of the toppings clashed with my whole bowl. However, they did have a good portion size.
Prices!
Regular $9.50
Large $11.50
All About Poke
Studio City
Rate: 8/10
All About Poke was a small, dimly lit place with black walls. Posters about poké were hung up, as well as pictures of some of the pre-selected bowls they had. There was pop music playing on the radio.
Sam:
The white rice was crunchy, but not dry. The "spicy tuna" was not very spicy, while on the other hand the shrimp had lots of flavor to make up for it. The seaweed salad was sweet, but too sour. The crab meat tasted like shrimp chips, which was questionable but not too bad. The ginger had a nice neutral flavor that countered the salt and spice of the mayo.
Tatum:
They had a decent portion size, I think, but it was hard to see since it was so dark. This place had the freshest-tasting food. My tuna was cold like sushi, and the texture of the albacore was better than at most other places I've been to. The ponzu sauce was too salty, but it was balanced by the neutral rice. Bonus: they offer a loyalty system where if you buy 10 bowls you get one free.
Prices!
Small: $9.99
Medium: $11.79
Large: $13.49
Hoke Poke
North Hollywood
Rate: 7/10
Hoke Poke was a bright restaurant with high, silver tables and metal chairs. There was a red theme going on and had upbeat staff.
Sam:
The spicy tuna was really spicy, which I liked. The shrimp was too small and insufficient for the whole bowl. The seaweed salad was in excess and there was also a lot of crab meat. No ginger was offered, so I replaced it with peanuts, which added a pleasant crunch to the bowl.
Tatum:
The portion size was too small for me, while the fish taste was too strong for me. On the plus side, the vegetables were crisp and tasted fresh. Overall, the flavors of the bowl mixed well, and no ingredient was too dry.
Prices!
Regular: $10.50
Large: $13.50
Overall, we liked Poke Haus the best. The flavors were the most vibrant, the portion sizes were the biggest for the price, and the environment was the most serene for eating.