Aloha Poke Co - Milwaukee, WI
Overall: B
Big Crunch Bowl - Jalapeno, Cucumber, Scallions, Edamame, Tobiko, Crunch, Spicy Aioli, Samurai Sauce, Ahi Tuna, White Rice
Aloha Poke’s participation with Ritual’s launch in Milwaukee led to this being $1 and my first experience with poke. My perception of poke had always been that it straddled the line between sushi and the health bowl craze. After eating this, I think that my perception was fairly accurate, not that it really had much impact on my enjoyment of the bowl.
What I got was pretty much what I’d expect from a national fast-casual - pretty well constructed but definitely not exemplary. The whole bowl was pretty dense, which i think was to its benefit as it made it easier to eat and get multiple things in one bite. It had pretty good textural balance, ranging from “crunch” (fried onions) to semi-hard edamame and cucumber to the pop of the tobiko and soft tuna, all around a fairy dry (from a steaming perspective, not poorly cooked) rice. The flavor was more muddled, dominated by the sauces and cucumber. While that taste was good, it kind of bothers me to use ahi tuna in a setting where you can’t really taste it or detect its texture as opposed to a more environmentally friendly, cheap, or flavorful fish. That being said, this was easily worth the $1 I spent on it and I’d definitely consider it as an option at full price as well. It was quick, tasty, and reasonably healthy, and that can’t be said for that many restaurants in Milwaukee.
