The Poke Shack -

We were invited to check out The Poke Shack last week. What a treat it was – a small taste of Hawaiian paradise right on the boardwalk of Venice Beach. This eatery, which is literally a shack, offered a Poke Bowl heaven with an extensive list of fresh ingredients to choose from.

You might be wondering – what is a poke bowl?

A poke bowl is a Hawaiian dish made of fresh fish, vegetables and other fresh ingredients. The word “poke” originated to mean “to cut crosswise into pieces”, referring to the way that the fresh fish was cut. Poke is raw Ahi or Salmon marinated in shoyu. In Hawaii, the Poke is marinated overnight which deepens the red color of Ahi Tuna. At The Poke Shack, they use a technique which allows them to marinate the fish in front of the customer.

If you’ve never had poke before, but are a big fan of sushi – you’ve got to try it! [Think of a poke bowl as a giant deconstructed sushi roll.] The best part about going to the Poke Shake is that each order is 100% customizable. If you are craving a more hearty meal, you can get it with rice (brown or white); or if you’re more of a salad lover, get it on a bed of kale or seaweed. The proteins they offer include ahi tuna, salmon, shrimp, or tofu.

A visit to the Poke Shack in Venice, California for some fresh and tasty goodness.

You can ask the staff for their favorite combos, or better yet add on the option of “Chef’s Recommendation” where they will add in a few extra flavors that will compliment the few ingredient choices you already made. We ordered two different “Big Daddy” bowls (which is their large size – warning get this if you’re hungry because the portions were HUGE!):

One with ahi tuna with crunchy garlic sauce, brown rice, tomato, avocado + chef’s recommendation (when the order came out I was presently surprised to see the chef had added mango & watermelon radish, which I never would have thought of on my own but added a great sweet flavor)
One with salmon with crunchy garlic sauce, kale, carrots, charred pineapple, avocado + chef’s recommendation (which included jalapenos, edamame & seaweed salad)

The one thing I will say about this boardwalk location is that there isn’t really anywhere to sit down & eat. There are a few tall standing room only tables, but I think most people get it to-go or eat it on the beach picnic-style. If you are looking for more of a restaurant atmosphere, maybe try one of their other locations.