Restaurant Review: 'Ono Poke Co.
'ONO POKE CO. 10142 104th Street ~ onopokeco.com Instagram: @onopokecoyeg ~ Twitter: @OnoPokeCoYEG Co-Diners: The E.A.T Crew
Poke blew up in our country sometime in the late 2010s and I'm pretty sure that it's here to stay. If you're someone who loves sushi, poke manages to take that love and shoots it up into the stratosphere. Poke and sushi are not the same thing, one is from Hawaii and the other is from Japan, but there are some definite similarities. Namely, the raw fish. Gaining popularity in the 1970s, the main ingredient in poke is diced raw fish. The traditional version is a lot simpler than the modern bowls that we mainly see today (I don't even think that a rice base is a part of it, it's just a pile of marinated fish). However, traditional poke seasonings have been heavily influenced by Japanese cuisine which is where lots of the same flavour profiles come from. At this point, poke has quickly become one of my favourite foods of all-time and when I saw that VUE Weekly voted 'Ono Poke as the #1 Best Poke 2018 in Edmonton, I had to visit. Located Downtown on the very desirable 4th Street Promenade, 'Ono Poke sets itself apart from other poke shops by keeping things more traditional than most. Chef Lawrence Hui's goal is to bring authentic Hawaiian poke to our city and it really shows in the dishes. ('Ono means delicious.) The restaurant is a fast casual establishment, as most poke shops are, with the atmosphere of the space capturing the Hawaiian vibe quite successfully. Their logo outside is clear and unmistakable, while inside you'll find funky light fixtures, paintings of Hawaiian islands, and a high airy ceiling in the dining area. Distressed wood with accents of turquoise easily channel the feeling of a surf shack. The restaurant feels laid-back and comfortable, which is what you would imagine a Hawaiian poke shop (preferably on the beach) to be. Approaching the counter, you are met with several choices; Traditional Poke, Specialty Poke, and Hawaiian. I found the last section especially interesting because they are serving up Hawaiian dishes that aren't poke as well, something that you'll rarely see at other shops. Another interesting thing that I noticed is the fact that they don't offer a "build your own" poke option like most other shops do. 'Ono Poke sticks to their own chef-crafted recipes and they don't want you messing with that. Respect. However, you are allowed to pick your base; furikake rice, brown rice, quinoa, or spring mix. Since this was my first official visit, I wanted to keep things as traditional and authentic as possible and chose the 'Ono Poke ($15.95 for regular size) on Furikake (white) Rice. The restaurant's namesake poke bowl has gotta be a solid choice.
Bright and fresh, I was eager to dig in! I immediately noticed that my tuna was very cold. Not frozen, but only a few steps away. I'm used to the fish in my poke being a lot closer to room temperature, so this caught me off guard. However, once the fish had a chance to shake off the chill I could really enjoy the flavourful marinate and nice quality of the tuna. The rice base was very good, with a nice stickiness to it. All of the vegetables were alive with colour and I especially loved the macadamia nuts - a true Hawaiian ingredient. Everything tasted quite good, however I was looking for bigger, saucier flavours. While this poke bowl didn't seem to have the same "wow factor" as I've become accustomed to in other shops, I do feel that this version was likely a lot closer to what traditional Hawaiian poke is actually like. It's more about the marinated raw fish and less about all of the extra bells and whistles. I really want to try the Uncle Thom's Surf Poke, which looks a lot saucier, marinating ahi tuna in a spicy tobiko aioli. Maybe that's what I was missing? Some spice? Their new California Poke which includes ahi tuna and pollock in a spicy aioli marinade sounds great too. Next, I was really interested in the dishes of Hawaiian food on the menu. This felt completely different to me and a great opportunity to try something new. They've got a Loco Moco on the menu, which I love, however I think of it more as a breakfast dish. I had to go for the Huli Huli Chicken ($15.95) which sounded pretty unique.
This grilled chicken dish really surprised me! I loved the cook on the chicken, a delicious crispy and saucy skin on the outside, juicy and tender meat on the inside. I really enjoyed the bit of char on the chicken, which gave it that barbecued smokiness that you crave. The use of pineapple in the marinade and in the salsa truly brought the Hawaiian flavours in a way that I appreciated. Who doesn't love sticky, saucy chicken? I think that this was my favourite dish of the evening just because it was executed so well and really felt like a dish from Hawaii. Lastly, I COULD NOT miss out on the Spam Musubi ($2.75), which I am incredibly excited that 'Ono Poke offers. One of my favourite snacks!
Why would anyone want this? Because it's delicious. Everyone knows that SPAM® is a major food product in Hawaii. This dates back to World War II when Spam was introduced as a military food. Today, the Hawaiian perception of Spam differs from the mainland states - Hawaiians love it! They put it in everything! Spam Musubi, a dish certainly created with Japanese influence, involves a slice of grilled Spam on top of a block of rice and wrapped together with nori. It's like a Spam sushi, which you know you want in your life. I loved the hot, juicy, salty grilled Spam, the nice sushi rice, and the perfect nori envelope. 'Ono Poke serves them with a musubi sauce for dipping - an excellent addition. Maybe I'm crazy for loving these... But I know that I'm not. Are you looking for a Hawaiian pig roast?? 'Ono Poke does those as well! I wouldn't say that the poke at 'Ono Poke is the best that I've ever had but I will say that it's likely the most traditional. There were some hits and misses but overall I just like seeing more poke shops in Edmonton. The more the merrier! The cool thing about 'Ono Poke is that they offer a more well-rounded Hawaiian experience and they give you the opportunity to try an array of classic Hawaiian dishes. I look forward to returning and trying a few more items on their menu. Mahalo!
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