By Madison Andrews ’20

The rapid expansion of Pokemoto restaurants in Fairfield County comes as no surprise. The July grand opening in Fairfield was followed by expansion to South Norwalk and coming soon to Stamford. This new Poke restaurant is conveniently located on 1512 Post Road in the former home of Pinkberry next to Colony Grill. Pokemoto is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day of the week, allowing poke fans to enjoy the delicious cuisine for as many hours of the day.

Poke, which means ‘to slice or cut’ in Hawaiian, is typically pieces of raw fish over a bed of rice with vegetables and assorted sauces.

The moment I walked into the sleek, welcoming atmosphere of Pokemoto, I was greeted by the friendly faces of the staff. There were three servers behind the counter, all of whom were helping customers with their selections while serving with an efficiently fast pace. Since this was my first time trying Poke, I was not sure what to order, but was educated in the variety of options and given the opportunity to sample a number of sauces. I was also informed of their most popular dish, the Sesame Ginger Chicken bowl.

I ordered an abundance of menu items: the Hawaiian signature rice bowl, as well as a build-your-own wrap and the Sesame Ginger Chicken bowl. Even with four other guests in line, the entire order was prepared and paid for in all of 15 minutes.

The Hawaiian rice bowl consisted of ahi tuna, sweet onions, shredded nori, crispy onions, masago and spicy mayo. The flavors were perfect, creating a sweet and salty combination that one looks for in a great entree. With the entirety of the rice, protein and toppings, the final product is quite enough for two people to share.

I also ordered a build-your-own dish. I got a Poke wrap and selected one protein and as many toppings as I wanted. I chose chicken for the protein plus edamame, sweet onion, mango and avocado for the toppings with the sesame ginger dressing.

The best part about the build-your-own option is if you do not like any of the five signature bowls, you can make any combination you wish. For the bowl, one could choose from five proteins, 10 mix-ins, nine dressings and 21 toppings. Extra protein added is more money, but all the other toppings are included in the cost.

The third and final dish, as well as the most popular, was the Sesame Ginger Chicken bowl. This included chicken, sweet onions, shredded carrots, avocado, cashews, tempura flakes and the sesame ginger dressing. All of the toppings were fresh and complemented each other well, though the dressing was what really completed the dish. The tangy and salty yet sweet dressing perfected the meal.

For dessert, my family insisted on trying the dole whip, which comes in an assortment of flavors depending on their availability. I ordered the mango flavor, which was a tangy and refreshing treat that was an excellent finish to a filling meal.

Overall, my visit to Pokemoto was a success, as it was a quick option perfect for a weeknight. The service was excellent, with efficient and kind staff, who truly love their product. The bowls and wrap were 10.95 dollars each depending on protein and size, and the dole whip is four dollars. The portion size, and the freshness of the ingredients in the meal made the price well worth it. For those who want to try a fair priced and delicious meal, Pokemoto is a must!