What's up with poke bowls, and why are they at Walmart?
Poke bowls popping up from Hawaii to Texas to California and Utah
Before 2011, if someone asked me if I liked coffee, my response would be, “It’s cool.” I’ve liked coffee since my high school days of drinking it primarily because my father always had a cup. (Yes, Shaquille O’Neal, black people drink coffee.) I even enjoyed variations with my grandfather, who went from buying high-priced roast versions to the best in instant coffee.
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But it wasn’t until I arrived in Maui, Hawaii, that I understood just how delicious coffee should be — decaffeinated Kona Hawaiian Blend micro-roasted coffee, to be exact. I guzzled it down so much that I skipped restaurant drinks solely to return to my hotel and drink the “free” coffee in the room. And if not for the fresh sesame tofu and “Yum” tofu in restaurants, I may have relied on a pescatarian diet and eaten fried calamari on a daily basis too. I was turning into a foodie every second of every day on that island.
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Somehow, in all the fresh vegan, vegetarian and seafood meals I ate while I was in Maui, I slept through poke bowls. Apparently “one of Hawaii’s most recognizable dishes,” poke bowls (usually) consist of diced fish — poke means “to cut crosswise into pieces” — salt, limu, and roasted and ground kukui (candlestick nut). I have zero idea if it’s good, but Walmart is giving consumers an option to try it.
In partnership with Uncle Sharkii Poke Bar, the Chinese-owned restaurant is bringing their dishes to Walmart locations in California and Utah, reports Supermarket News. Founded by CEO Fen Reyes, the restaurant has locations in Houston, Texas and Honolulu, Hawaii.
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But if you’re in none of these states (or islands), how can you get Walmart to start selling the dish in your area? Or, where else can you go to taste it? And when do you know if it’s a legitimate poke bowl or a copycat?