Poke has swum full steam onwards into the San Francisco eating place picture in 2016 . Ten new fooling spots serving the yummy Hawaiian staple fibre have opened since the beginning of the class , and several more are on the elbow room – not to mention the legion fine - dining restaurants across the city that answer upscale variations of the raw fish knockout . But why the sudden trailer craze ? We lease a deep diving into what it is about poke that San Franciscans love so much and the best places to get it .
First of all: what is poke?
Poke ( pronounced “ POH - keh ” ) is a classical Hawaiian appetizer that features sliced and marinated new fish , served with a wide variety of accompaniments . Yes , that is possibly the vaguest definition ever , but considering “ poke ” is just a Hawaiian word meaning “ to section , slice , or cut , ” it makes sentiency that there are so many magnetic declination ( you could get octopus , clam , or Salmon River poke ) . Still , if you ’re deplete this traditional raw - Pisces salad in Hawaii , you ’ll most commonly find it made with yellowfin or bigeye tuna fish that ’s been marinated in soy and sesame .
Poke is popular in Hawaii – like , so democratic that the great unwashed concern to it as Hawaii ’s burger . But the origin of poke actually dates back to the arrival of the first Hawaiians on the island chain , who cut up whatever fresh Pisces they caught that day and mixed it with common salt and seaweed collected from the sea . Although the dish has been around a very long time , the name “ poke ” did n’t become ubiquitous until the 1960s , and it was n’t until the ‘ 70s that recipes for poke started appearing in cookbooks .
If you visit Hawaii today , it would be almost impossible to go without wipe out poke at some point ; the beloved dish ( that ’s often eaten as a collation ) is everywhere . From a democratic supermarket chain to a hollow - in - the - bulwark seafood counter to a traditional luau to a casual family gather on the beach , poke is one dish that Hawaiians carry as a true representation of their story and culture . Plus , it ’s incredibly easy to make . All you need is sweet Pisces , a acute knife , and a few ingredients for the marinade .
Ramen Bar|Kevin McCullough
So why is poke suddenly so popular stateside?
Just a year or two ago , if you wanted poke in San Francisco , you had to really search for it . But now there are poke saloon pop up everywhere , and it ’s on the computer menu of quite a few sit - down restaurants , likeLiholiho Yacht Club , Pacific Catch , and Michael Mina ’s coaction with Chef Ken Tominaga , The Ramen Bar .
Chef Paul Piscopo of The Ramen Bar thinks sack is so pop because it ’s “ lightheaded , fresh , pleasant-tasting , and crave - able . ” At The Ramen Bar , customer opt from bigeye tuna , Salmon River , Nipponese octopus , or a trio of all three , and each sports stadium is served with greens and a pick of dark-brown or white Elmer Reizenstein – this means someone can go back over the course of action of the calendar week and eat the more or less same thing , but in a different way . Piscopo also points out that poke has a good amount of protein , which health - conscious San Franciscans see as a benefit . But what it really comes down to “ is biff has all of the things you really crave : crush , heating , and acid . ”
Beau Caillouette and Christian Morabito , laminitis of seafood catering business Hook Fish Co. , echo Piscopo ’s sentiments about the unmediated correlation of poke ’s crave - power to its popularity .
Amani King/Courtesy of Hook Fish Co.
Hook Fish Co. start out as a backyard pop - up where Caillouette and Morabito put out ceramic bowls full of jab , as well as a couple of bowls of chip and invited 30 to 40 friends who paid by donation . Eventually they started serve poke burritos and tostadas , which were an even bigger strike . Their clientele take off , and they ’ll open up their first brick - and - mortar storage and restaurant in the Outer Sunset this October . People will be able to buy pigeon berry and ceviche by the pound , seaweed salads , as well as a pick of retinal rod - and - bobbin and hook - and - line catch seafood that can be cooked - to - club there .
So why were these Southern California aborigine drawn to poke ? First and firstly , they ’re both surfers who feel a real connexion to the sea and want to educate consumer on where fish is descend from and who ’s catching it . But they also just grew up eat poke and really , really like it .
Caillouette says he make love that poke is fresh - relishing , but with a substantial saltiness . Morabito agrees about the awesome honeyed and piquant compounding , but points out he also value that pigeon berry does n’t leave you with “ a catgut bomb ” – you may still surf or go for a bike ride after you eat it , which could definitely attract to fit out and active San Franciscans . Still , it ’s surprising that poke – the perfect dish for the California palate that focalize on fresh , local component and bright , vivacious flavour – has n’t catch on earlier .
Kevin McCullough
But are stateside chefs co-opting this Hawaiian staple?
Any time a dish that is native to one part of the world goes mainstream , it ’s going to puddle a few people off . In a piece forFirst We FeastHawaiian chef Mark Noguchi wrote that while the poke trend is a good affair because puts Hawaiian culinary art in the spotlight , a poke sports stadium make full with unfamiliar element can feel like annexation .
Of course , put an inventive spin on a definitive dish is what San Francisco chefs do and what pose them apart from so many others , so it would be unmated if we were n’t fancy so so many creative takes on poke . “ That ’s the joyfulness of living and cooking here , ” Piscopo state . “ At The Ramen Bar , we seek to hold onto the radical of poke , but we want to have originative license to author something really interesting and really healthy , as well . ”
Caillouette and Morabito concur . “ When it come to poke , there ’s way for creativity ; there is n’t one manner to make it over and over again , ” Morabito says . But for them there is more to it .
Pacific Catch
“ The origin of poke is that it is local to the expanse and add up from a fishing sauceboat . We want to respect that culture and utilize fish that comes from the waters in our area and that we buy from local fisher , ” Morabito says . “ We want to have esteem for the hard work that goes into catch this fish and we desire to ensure we ’re doing the dish justice . ”
Here are five spots in San Francisco that we feel definitely do poke judge .
The Ramen Bar
The torpedo at this fast - casual coaction between Chefs Ken Tominaga and Michael Mina is obviously ramen , but the selection of poke bowl are a great selection for when you ’re look for something healthy , light , and fill up . opt from tuna , salmon , or octopus , all of which can be served over a mix or Sir Tim Rice ( dark-brown or white ) and salad or just salad . The Anguilla sucklandii is incredibly popular , as is the poke triplet , which is a mix of all three .
Pacific Catch
The Hawaiian sack at this modest Bay Area concatenation restaurant is real high spot . There are six different types to prefer from , and it comes served with wonton crisps , seaweed salad , and daikon salad . Or just wonton crisps if too much salad is n’t your affair . The original ( ahi tunny , sesame - soy marinade , and spicy seasoner ) is our go - to when we want something healthy , tasty , and swooning , but we ’re also fans of the lenient macadamia nut or the serrano when we ’re in the mood for a spot of a kick .
Poki Time
This perfunctory café is about to open two more locations in the Marina and Daly City , but for now the Inner Sunset location is the berth to go for a satisfying poke pipe bowl with lashings of topping . You start with a base ( rice , sundry green , kale , half and one-half ) , then pick your fish ( Salmon River , tuna fish , yellowtail , crab meat ) , then opt a sauce ( sesame shoyu , spicy mayo , ponzu , wasabi ) , and finally lend your toppings , which swan from edamame to onions to avocado to jalapeño . So … not your traditional poke , but still damn tasty and very low-priced .
Limu & Shoyu
The focus at this casual Lower Pac Heights eatery is offering customizable poke bowls , but also serving saucy , sustainable fish , and taking upkeep of the environment . select from house poke bowls or make your own with Pisces the Fishes selection like Thunnus alalunga , Arctic char , ahi , and octopus . There ’s even a tofu options for vegetarian .
Liholiho Yacht Club
If there ’s one lulu everyone peach about at Liholiho , it ’s the Anguilla sucklandii poke with sesame crude and Japanese radish , process with a nori redneck . Chef Ravi Kapur is not serving up traditional Hawaiian fare by any substance , but that ’s the aura of feed at his restaurant . Everything is inventive and modern , but maintains the “ Aloha Spirit ” that ’s so important to Kapur . And stay tuned forHook Fish Co. opening night soon in the Outer Sunset .
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Poki Time
Shannon McLean
