Poké House – a rising raw fish restaurant in Bay Area

When you hear the word “raw fish”, salmon and tuna are usually the first things that come to your mind. Everyone knows raw fish is a big part of Japanese cuisine (i.e. sushi and sashimi). But surprisingly, when you see it in a bowl with seasoning, the dish is actually Hawaiian and it is called “Poké”, which means fish salad.

Poké House brought two cultures together by putting the delicious raw meat on top of rice in a bowl. Without further ado, I am going to introduce you to this newly rising place.

Introduction and Ambience:

The only operating Poké House so far is located at 1698 Hostetter Road in San Jose, California, but they are planning to open three more in Bay Area. Poké House welcomes you everyday from 11 AM to 9 PM. The location is among other restaurants in Pacific Rim Plaza with a big parking space in the middle.

Service:

The restaurant can be crowded at noon or evening, obviously, which is the reason they should add at least one more people in each shift. However, even though you have to wait in line sometimes, the staff members are friendly and willing to answer your questions about their food.

Food:

It is heaven for raw fish lovers, not to mention you have true freedom to make your own bowl. You can start by choosing which kind of rice you like, and then you can choose the kind of meat (you can choose 3 scoops for a small bowl, and 4 scoops for a large bowl), toppings and dressing. Their complete menu is also available on their website here.

Value for money:

Raw fish is usually expensive, especially in fancy restaurants. But at Poké House, $10.5 for a small bowl and $12.5 for a large bowl is not too bad. Moreover, you will not only get the fish, but also rice, toppings and dressing. I would say this is absolutely a good investment.

Panda’s recommendation:

I cannot possibly recommend the best dish in this case because we all have different taste in fish. I would suggest you to try every kind of meat when you go there the first time just to see what you like. And when you go there the latter times, you can ask for 3 or 4 scoops of the same fish in your bowl. I shamelessly order 4 scoops of raw salmon every time I go there. I would also want to let you know that most toppings are free (except guacamole and seaweed salad), so please go nuts and order everything.

Happiness meter:

Everyone loves freedom and loves to be hip. Whether you decide to finish your bowl there or take home, Poké House will make you feel like you recreate your own identity in a form of food.

For more details, you can check out their website here.