My best friend, Karen, lives in Burlingame, near San Francisco.  I am blessed to be able to visit her yearly.  Each trip to  San Francisco succeeds at introducing me to something new.  This was the year of Poke!  Karen tells me that Poke, pronounced “POH-keh,”   restaurants have been popping up everywhere. Each community by her seems to have at least two locations.  To me, Poke tastes like precious sushi in a bowl, customized to each person’s preference.  It is heaven in a dish – food of the gods.  Each day on my visit, I craved Poke.

What exactly is Poke

While Poke may seem like a new food trend, it has been a mainstay in Hawaii for centuries.  The bowl starts with a base – either jasmine rice or lettuce greens.  Next you choose a protein – usually tuna, salmon, or shrimp.  Next comes the toppings of your choosing.  In Burlingame, you picked toppings out like you were in line at a Subway restaurant.  To me, the more the better!  The final step is a choice of sauces.

The poke bowl in the picture?

That lovely Poke bowl above was my order at OTOBO Sushi Bar and Restaurant near me in Bolingbrook, Illinois. Yep, that’s right.  A beautiful Poke bowl in the south Chicago suburbs!  My Poke bowl consisted of sushi rice, ahi tuna,  avocado, mango, shiitake, seaweed salad, edamame, sweet potato crunchy and creamy ginger sauce.  Price is $12.

It is my prediction that Poke will continue to spread its Hawaiian loveliness everywhere.  Poke is healthy, and it is as addictive as crack cocaine.  Hope you try it soon!