As our beloved places in Harvard Square are leaving us, new and fun places are entering the food-scene. Lucky for us, the famous Pokéworks is moving in right into the heart of the Square in just a few weeks. Even if you've never been to Pokeworks, don’t worry that you won’t know how to order when it opens up, because I recently went to their Somerville location so that I can give you the run down.
What is poké?
For those of you asking “What the heck is poké?”, it is a classic Hawaiian dish that is essentially a raw fish salad. It is typically prepared with tuna that is marinated with soy sauce and sesame oil, and served with toppings such as seaweed salad, onions, masago, and avocado.
Pokéworks is the Sweetgreen for poke; you can either get one of their signature works or make your own bowl, burrito, or salad.
The Signature Works
If you are into spice, their Spicy Ahi is for you. It has ahi tuna, green and sweet onion, cucumber, masago, sesame seeds, and a siracha aioli, which will wake up your taste buds. Or you can go with the Hawaiian Classic that features their pokeworks classic sauce, and we know that we can never go wrong with the classics. They also have a vegan option – their Sweet Chili Tofu is topped with blanched kale, onion, cucumber, edamame, sesame seeds, and their sweet chili gochujang sauce.
Make Your Own
If you are feeling creative and would prefer to customize your meal, it is very easy to do and Pokéworks has an endless number of options. First, you pick your base. You can do a bowl that contains kale noodles, sushi rice, brown rice, or quinoa, or you can do a burrito with sushi rice and a roasted seaweed wrap, or a salad. Next, you pick your protein. The options range from ahi tuna, shrimp, chicken, and tofu. Then, the unlimited number of mix-ins are added, which can be anything from cilantro to mango to edamame. After the mix-ins you add flavor. I recommend the Ponzu fresh or the Pokeworks classic. Finally, we have to add the toppings like avocado, seaweed salad or pickled ginger, and then the crunch such as lotus chips, toasted rice puffs, or wonton crisps.
As you can see, the options here are endless. I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait until their Harvard Square location opens up.