First Taste of Pokerrito

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Following along with the Poke trend, fast casual, Pokérrito has recently opened its doors on Dunsmuir Street with a fresh food trend that’s gaining popularity. Poké (pronounced poe-kay), is a raw fish salad traditionally served as an appetizer in Hawaii. Pokérrito translates this dish into burritos, bowls, and salads with a Japanese twist.

Owner Jung Moon worked as a local sushi chef before opening Pokérrito. His love for Japanese ingredients, along with well-honed knife skills, inspired his own approach to the Hawaiian staple. With a sashimi-like technique, proteins like tuna, salmon, octopus, and scallop are diced into the foundation of poké. It is then tossed in house-made sauces like wasabi-basil, sweet chili, and umami. Other sushi inspired ingredients like masago and furikake are on the menu, and burritos are wrapped in a large sheet of nori.

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Customization and variety are encouraged as guests are guided along the ordering line. An order includes a base (burrito, bowl, or salad) and choice of poké, followed by mix-ins (kale, cucumber, sweet onion, cilantro, and more), sides (avocado, edamame, seaweed salad, and more), and finally toppings (pineapple, jalapeno, ginger, macadamia nuts, and more). 5 pre-designed signature combinations are also available to take the guesswork out of ordering.  A wide array of vegetarian and vegan designs are available, and the entire menu is gluten free. Burritos, bowls, and salads are all priced at $10.50 for regular size (2 scoops of poké) and $12.95 for large size (3 scoops of poké).

Pokerrito Burrito

Pokerrito Burrito

North Shore Pokerrito Bowl.

North Shore Pokerrito Bowl.

I have tried a couple of different poke based dishes here including the Pokerrito Burrito with ahi tuna and salmon, along with kale, sweet onion, crabmeat salad, edamame, and a citrus ponzu sauce, plus sprouts, pineapple, sweet corns and fried onions; as well as one of their set bowls, the North Shore Pokerrito Bowl.

The 850 square foot space is clean and bright, anchored by a wall of gleaming subway tiles. Concrete, ash, and particleboard surfaces give a modern look with Japanese simplicity. Guests can take their orders to go or pull up one of 15 bar-style seats.

Pokérrito is located at 558 Dunsmuir Street (at Richards) and is open 11:00am – 9:00pm Monday – Saturday.

By: Richard Wolak

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