Pokérrito Poke Bowl

Pokerrito is a Korean operated poke bowl restaurant in downtown. If you have not tried it, think of poke bowl as the Hawaii version of Subway. Except, the baguette is replaced with a bowl of rice or salads, and the meats are replaced with raw fish. poke bowls are native to Hawaii. It was influenced by Japanese Chirashi Don and Korean Hoedeopbap. We went to the new Pokérrito location on Robson Street near Bidwell Street in Downtown.

Strength: Poke bowl on convenient Robson Street

Weakness: Poke rules are confusing

Pokérrito on Robson St.

The interior space of Pokérrito has a double-height ceiling to give it an airy atmosphere. Decors are minimalist and modern with clean tiles and glazing. It is very bright on the inside.

The ordering rules feel cumbersome

I did not enjoy the ordering ritual at Pokérrito. I noticed most of the poke places operated by Korean will limit the number of sides you can ask for with your bowl. Pokérrito limits the number of side dish to 2. They also institute extra cost for certain popular sides such as avocado. This was my first time at Pokérrito so I only noticed the extra cost item when I picked them. When the server asked me “this cost 50 cents extra, is that okay?” What was I supposed to say?

Petty extra charge on the sides

It is understandable to charge extra for wild salmon, but these petty charges on the sides just feel a cheap shot. I agreed on the extra charge and left paid with a bad aftertaste in my mouth. It would be appreciated if I can have a more relaxing ordering experience.

Aburi poke seems innovative

I saw the sandwich board outside Pokérrito offering their new item, aburi poke. It is basically torch seared raw fish on rice, a Korean spin-off of the Hawaiian styled poke serving Japanese aburi sushi in a bowl. I’m not going to say who is copying who, but let’s just say it’s a safe innovation.

The poke tastes not bad

Aside from my bad experience at the ordering counter, my poke taste okay. The fish are relatively fresh. There are plenty of ingredients to go with the rice. The sauce was flavourful enough. There is nothing much to complain about. However, also nothing outstanding for as incentive for me to come back to go through the cumbersome ordering ritual.

The spork was cute and surprisingly useful

When I first saw this spork, I thought the restaurant is being cheap for not giving me a spoon and a fork. After I start eating, it is actually quite useful. I eat the majority of the poke with the spoon and use the fork only occasionally.

604 Food Critic Assessment

Pokérrito is an acceptable poke restaurant. Think of it as an Asian fast food restaurant. The counter has the staff side and the customer side. Trading money for a bowl of poke is your only interaction. After the trade, you can either take your food to go or enjoy it at the space provided. The dining area seating is limited and modernly uninviting, so don’t stay here for too long. For $12.50, I got a bowl of poke that is high-average but not above average. I’d say it’s equivalent to A&W, so $9.50 – $12 for a combo should be fair. Not recommended if you enjoy no-stress ordering experience.

Menu

• Phone: (778) 945-0895
• Address: 1668 Robson St, Vancouver
• Order: Here
• Hours: 11:00 am – 9:00 pm, Sunday 12:00 pm – 8:00 pm