A new restaurant called Poke Co. is on the horizon in Aliso Viejo Town Center and is expected to open its doors to customers as one of its first locations outside of LA County in Nov.
The restaurant mainly serves bowls of poke, a Hawaiian dish that is deeply rooted in Japanese cuisine. Poke means “cut into pieces,” and refers to the slices or cubes of raw seafood often served with rice or other appetizers.
Poke Co. also offers a wide variety of exotic Lay’s potato chips from across the globe, including fried crab and lamb skewer chips, as well as specialty drinks, desserts and miso soup.
Alongside Poke, the acclaimed restaurant also serves a wide selection of chicken wings which are currently only available at five of their locations, although, plans have been made to extend the option to Aliso Viejo as well.
Poke Co. already has eight locations in Rowland Heights, Fullerton, Norwalk, Mira Mesa, Mission Valley, Claremont, San Dimas and Cerritos, and plans to further expand, garnering a new audience in Southern Orange County.
The location of the new poke restaurant was previously occupied by Big Fish Little Fish, another poke restaurant that remained in Aliso Viejo for a number of years but ultimately closed down, leaving only one other location in Santa Monica.
Delaney Bennett (11) says, “I think this new restaurant will bring new customers from around the community and it will be a good place to go after school or on the weekends with family and friends. I’m excited about the restaurant because there aren’t many poke places near this area and it’s one of my favorite foods.”
In recent years, Orange County has become the hub of popular restaurants, hotels and activities in California, and many eateries that have other locations seek to obtain a position in residential neighborhoods that guarantee continuous business.
Mariam Taheri (12) says, “Poke Co. sounds like a really good restaurant and I think it’s going to bring a lot of good business to the Aliso Viejo area. I’ve noticed that many new restaurants have been opening in this area and I think it’s because of a higher demand for recreational and entertainment places.”
Southern California, being so close to the shore, always provides delicious seafood since the waters off the coast are rich with marine life.
On their website, Poke Co. states, “We investigate every fish partner to ensure they meet our standards before we ever serve the product. We work primarily with suppliers in Hawaii, Boston and the Faroe Islands, some of the world leaders in aquaculture management.”
Fresh fish is the main component of a poke bowl, providing lean protein, omega-3 fatty acids, and several vitamins and minerals. Without good quality and freshness, poke would lack flavor and nutritional value; Poke Co. understands this and claims that they do everything they can to ensure the highest grade of fish.
Poke Co. is looking forward to opening its doors to the Aliso Viejo community this coming month and anticipates a success.
