Before you ask, it’s poh-kay doh-kay. And no, this new restaurant in Futian’s Intown wasn’t named after a certain animated TV series. Instead, it’s focused around a Hawaiian classic: poke.
Well, more or less. Co-founder Lilo Liu admits that concessions were made to local tastes. Raw seafood is cut into bite-size pieces versus the larger chunks of fish in island versions and everything comes served over white rice.
The poke bowls all look tidy, with seafood and vegetables arranged into separate piles, fitting the vibe of the small shop, where the color scheme is bright and the slogan ‘Poké makes my day everyday’ is inscribed on a wall in pink neon lighting.
Thankfully, the food lives up to its appearance. It’s also very reasonably priced for the CBD: a belly-warming bowl of miso soup is RMB18, including the tofu and seaweed. The RMB48 classic Hawaiian salmon poke bowl’s salmon and mango make a blissful pairing, although the wakame seaweed can be overpowering.
Liu tips us off to the secret menu: to customize a bowl, all you need to do is talk to a waiter, although most customers only catch on after a few visits. Liu recommends a modified Togarashi teriyaki tuna poke bowl (RMB58) that trades salmon for tuna, adds extra avocado and gets topped off with ‘smoking hot sauce.’
The bowl isn’t as ‘smoking’ as we expect, but it’s still flavorful; deep-fried, crispy wonton skins complement a healthy helping of vegetables.
For beverages, we try the Maui sunrise soda (RMB28). After stirring, it yields a burst of passionfruit sweetness along with crunchy seeds. Poké-doke also has craft beer: in the fridge we spot brews like Immortal IPA and Blood Orange Pale Ale (both RMB38).
As we sip our soda and listen to a ukulele-heavy pop soundtrack, we find ourselves drifting off to a happy place. Maybe not a tropical paradise, but for Shenzhen, it’s close enough.
Price: RMB80-100
Who’s going: seafood lovers, selfie snappers
Good for: quality fish, artsy food shots, lunch with the girls
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