This past May, a new Hawaiian poke bowl place, Poke Fresh, opened its doors at 328 E. Calder Way.

For those unfamiliar with poke, it’s a common dish in Hawaiian cuisines. Traditionally, it features raw, diced fish tossed with rice, vegetables, and sauce and is commonly customized with other fresh ingredients. In addition to poke bowls, Poke Fresh sells bubble teas and shakes, among other items.

With some new grub downtown, some of our staffers naturally took the trip over to Poke Fresh to give it a try.

Colleen Nersten: Hawaii Fresh Bowl

I ordered the “Hawaii Fresh” bowl, and I was happy with my decision. It consisted of spicy tuna, tuna, pineapple, edamame, sweet corn, red cabbage, poke special sauce, kani salad, and green onion. I opted for the sushi rice as my base.

The portion size was hefty, and it could definitely last you two meals. All of the ingredients were fresh, and it was cheaper than the poke place in the HUB. I also appreciated that the tuna was cut into small chunks, so it wasn’t a mouthful of fish. The ~special sauce~ was fire, and there was a slight kick to the bowl. My only criticism is that it was dead silent in the restaurant, so everyone heard all of my gossip. A Poke Fresh Spotify playlist would do the place wonders. Either way, I would definitely go back.

Mikey DeAngelis: Custom Shrimp Bowl & Strawberry Smoothie

Poke Fresh has lots of bowls that you can select, but you can also just make a custom bowl, like at Chipotle. I got a bowl with white rice, shrimp, sesame seeds, and spicy mayo, and it was really good! The sauce was good and the food was all prepared well. I also got a strawberry smoothie, which tasted great. It was a little liquid-y for my liking, but they give you the option to add extra ice, so I’ll definitely do that next time. Overall, there are a lot of great options, and it’s definitely worth checking out!

Keeley Lamm: Seafood Fresh Bowl

Poke Fresh, I think you’ll be seeing a lot of me in the future.

I ordered the “Seafood Fresh” pre-made poke bowl and really enjoyed my meal. I chose a base of sushi rice, and the bowl came with shrimp, scallops, cucumber, sweet corn, tomatoes, both shrimp and chili sauces, and was topped with seaweed salad. The sauces were really tasty and probably what stood out to me most. Overall, I definitely liked my bowl and am looking forward to trying some more of Poke Fresh’s menu.

Also, I appreciated that I could order on a kiosk and that I received my meal super quickly. I was surprised by how full I was after devouring my bowl and believe I got a bang for my buck considering it included seafood.

My only gripe — Poke Fresh, please rock some tunes in the restaurant. It would only increase the vibes.

Ryan Parsons: Poke Fresh Special

It was good! I got the Poke Fresh Special with sushi rice, which was a good combo of both fish and vegetables. The sauce was delicious and brought the whole meal together. I’ve also tried the milk teas before, and I’m a fan of those as well. I could see myself getting a bowl and bringing it next door to Antifragile in the future.

Anna Wiggins: Poke Fresh Special

As a certified ~island girl,~ I was pretty excited to check out Poke Fresh. I ordered the Poke Fresh Special, which came with salmon, tuna, scallops, pineapple, cucumber, kani salad, seaweed salad, green onion, roasted seaweed, and sweet chili sauce.

This bowl was a wonderful combination of sweet, savory, crunchy, and creamy. The seafood was fresh and the assortment of fruit and veggies added a nice crunch in juxtaposition to the texture of the fish. The sweet chili sauce was my favorite, with just enough kick that your nose starts to run, but also tastefully coating the bowl in a fun, flavorful blanket. Overall, this bowl was tasty, refreshing, and pretty filling.

Despite that, the Brown Sugar Milk Tea with boba was the winner. I understand some may not be a fan of the texture, but you simply can’t go wrong with this sweet treat.

Haylee Yocum: Poke Fresh Special

When I heard there was a poke place coming downtown, I knew I had to try it. I had poke once four years ago in Connecticut and have been craving it ever since. I got the Poke Fresh Special, which had salmon, tuna, and scallops. I’m no stranger to fish, as I eat sushi a lot, so this sounded absolutely great to me.

I did substitute the sweet chili sauce with spicy mayo, though — I was never a big fan of chili sauce. The portion size was really big for the price that you pay and was so filling that I couldn’t finish. The pineapple, found in many of the bowls, added a nice acidity and sweetness that cut the spiciness. I also ordered peach green tea because I’m not experienced in boba tea, but it was super refreshing!

Gabe Angieri: Strawberry Shake

I’m a simple guy, so I just rolled with a strawberry shake. It was quality, and I would certainly go for it again. Next time, though, I’ll have to try some actual food in addition to my shake.