A Restaurant Devoted to Trendy Poke Bowls Will Soon Arrive in Midtown

It took a while, but Detroit is getting its first restaurant dedicated entirely to poke bowls. Suburban chain Pokē Pokē is setting up shop in Midtown at 4501 Woodward Ave. (Ste 103) inside the former Firehouse Subs space, Metro Times reports.

The fast-growing chain, which inexplicably adds extra emphasis to its Es, debuted its first location in Southfield last summer and quickly followed it up with an outpost in Farmington. The company now reportedly has two other locations in the works for Troy and Ann Arbor, in addition to the Detroit restaurant that’s set to open in April.

Poke, which originated in Hawaii, traditionally features sliced sushi-grade raw fish, salt, seaweed, and chopped kukui nuts, but in its more popularized form has taken on a rice bowl quality with common sushi additions like avocado, soy sauce, and spicy mayo.

Like many poke shops that have proliferated across the mainland since 2016, Pokē Pokē features a fast-casual format. Customers can choose from eight signature bowl recipes or build-their-own-bowl. Pick from white and brown rice or salad greens and add on scoops of seafood, chicken, or tofu. Bowls can be further customized with a long list of toppings that includes mango, corn, jalapeño, or crispy onions, wasabi, and citrus ponzu.

While there are several restaurants in Detroit that offer versions of poke on their menus and a handful of shops devoted to poke in the suburbs, the region as a whole has been slow to catch on to the national poke craze. Still, as Pokē Pokē’s rapid expansion demonstrates that there’s a lot more room for growth in the poke market.

• Pokē Pokē Sushi Unrolled Plans Spring Opening in Midtown [MT]
• Has the Poke Trend Peaked? [E]
• Can Poke Be the Next Fast-Casual Trend? [E]
• Data Dive: Tracking the Poke Trend [E]
• All Coming Attractions Coverage [ED]