The Fearless Foodie

 

Poke Me in the Eye                                         

By Scott Heiner 

As a “fearless foodie,” I have strived to try every kind of food.  However, just when I think I pretty much know about all the foods around, I discover something totally new. 

It was Father’s Day, and my daughter and her husband asked where I’d like to eat out.  Of course, I responded, “I want something weird, something that I haven’t tried before.  They suggested Hawaiian Poke.  “Poke?” I asked, “what on earth is that?”  I had no idea, so it was a no-brainer; we got in the car and took off to “Bigeye Poke & Grill” in Draper.   

This is what I learned from Wikipedia:  Poké (pronounced “Po-keh”) is diced and seasoned raw fish served either as an appetizer or a main course.  It is one of the main dishes of Native Hawaiian cuisine. Traditional forms include tuna, octopus, but more recently, raw salmon or various shellfish has been added as a main ingredient. 

The modern version is usually called a “poke bowl”, and the ingredients are arranged in a grouped way rather than mixed. Poke restaurants are mostly fast casual style restaurants where the dish is fully customizable from the base to the marinade on the fish. 

Beginning around 2012, poke became increasingly popular in North America. It started with a foothold in California and gradually migrated inland to Utah.  So, last month, we migrated to Bigeye Poke & Grill and I found it delightful. 

At Bigeye, to create your custom poke bowl, you move through the serving line with four steps:

1.     Base – Choice of white rice, brown rice or greens, or half-and-half

2.     Protein – Choose two of: (raw) tuna, salmon, octopus or (grilled) salmon, mahi-mahi, tilapia, beef or chicken

3.     Sides – Choose two of: edamame, black beans, kimchi, coleslaw, macaroni salad, honey crab, spicy cucumber or seaweed salad

4.     Garnish – fresh ginger, sesame seeds, wasabi, egg roll wrapper crisps, teriyaki sauce.

There are some other variations of the menu, but that’s the main idea.  I ordered (1) brown and white rice, (2) raw tuna and “volcano salmon”, (3) kimchi and honey crab, and (4) teriyaki and unagi sauce and crisps.  It’s kind of like Café Rio, Hawaiian-style. 

My poke bowl was very fresh and flavorful.  The sides, sauces and toppings made for a perfect taste.  There was so much variety of ingredients at Bigeye that I want to return.  What’s more, there are a number of other poke restaurants cropping up along the Wasatch Front, so I’ll definitely be eating more poke bowls in the future. 

So, when I think I’m knowledgeable am I about all the types of food around--well, just poke me in the eye.