Popular Poké Restaurant Pokéworks Plans Expansions Across The Country

Pokéworks, the first poké ocean-to-counter concept restaurant, is expanding rapidly across the country to offer the delicious build-your-own poké bowls, burritos, and salads made with fresh, sustainable ingredients.

While poké - raw fish salad that originated from Hawaii - appears to be a rapidly growing trend in NYC, the expansion of popular chains like Pokéworks is a testament to the fact that this cuisine is not just a trend, but a fan favorite that is here to stay. Pokéworks specializes in build-your-own pokéworks bowls, burritos, or salads that incorporates fresh fish tossed in sweet and savory sauces over a bed of rice and other toppings.

Pokéworks opened its first location in NYC about a year ago. Located in the heart of Midtown Manhattan, Pokéworks has a long line of customers that stretches around the corner on a typical lunch hour. However, the efficient service and assembly line mitigate the congestion, and the line moves fairly fast.

You can get creative with your own poké, which includes a base (sushi rice, brown rice, or quinoa), protein (everything from fresh ahi tuna to salmon to chicken), flavor (Hawaiian classic salt, umami shoyu, wasabi aioli, just to name a few), and various mix-ins and toppings like cucumber, macadamia nuts, hijiki seaweed, and avocado.

My personal make-your-own bowl featured quinoa as the base with fresh ahi tuna, salmon, and seared albacore tossed in ponzu sauce, and topped with wasabi tobiko, masago, seaweed salad, crab salad, and pickled ginger. For an extra crunch texture, I also added toasted rice puffs and lotus chips. The result? One of the best lunches I have had in a long time!

So what are you waiting for? Head over to your nearest Pokéworks to create your own delicious lunch! Pokéworks is slated to open multiple locations across the country in the coming years, including Seattle, Houston, Chicago, and even Vancouver in our neighbor up north in Canada!