Hello, everyone!
Thanks for all the check-ins, way to make me feel loved. This week’s on the free schedule, don’t forget to sign up for a paid subscription to get double the newsletter and double the fun!
My cataract surgery went well and I did not act like a jackass when I was sedated. Much to Davida’s disappointment. I was briefly tasked with using a cocktail of three eyedrops four times a day, and I learned something real weird during that time period. Since your eyes, nose and throat all share some passageways, you can actually taste eyedrops as they drain down your tear ducts. Cool.
I briefly thought about doing a flavor ranking for my other newsletter, but honestly, they all just taste bitter. Flavored eyedrops would be hilarious. Imagine the possibilities.
As I recovered, Davida and I decided to hit up a new poke spot that opened up near Central Park and Milwaukee, called Poke Okie.
That stretch of Milwaukee is starting to fill in nicely; Loaf Lounge is there (they serve chocolate cake that was featured in The Bear), Mother’s Ruin (the third location of an NYC-based spot) is at that intersection too, along with Central Park Bar (which has a beautiful patio), and Sipping Turtle Cafe.
It’s the Sipping Turtle Cafe connection that’s important—Poke Okie is the new poke spot by the same owners. I first read about it via Block Club Chicago, and Davida and I decided to walk over, because nothing sounded better than poke on a nearly 100 degree day.
I gotta say, the space inside is adorable. There’s live plants everywhere, the murals on the wall are bright and cheerful, all that color perks you up, and that’s even before you order at the counter.
And really, Poke Okie is simply a counter-service poke place. It’s a make-your-own bowl sort of situation (check out the menu here), which gives you a dazzling amount of choices. That admittedly makes picking hard, but also interesting.
You start by picking a base between sushi rice, brown rice, and mixed greens, then you pick between three or five different proteins (the choices are between nine seafood options and four non-seafood; $13.95 for three, $17.95 for five), six vegetable/fruit toppings (of which there are 13), two sauces (out of six), and two extra toppings (out of nine). Man, I’m out of breath.
Then there’s other stuff like rice bowls, miso soup, a sushi burrito, side salads, smoothies, small bites, and other specialty drinks. Got it? Good.
Davida loves takoyaki ($7.95), so that wasn’t really a question.
Takoyaki are small Japanese ball-shaped pancakes with a piece of octopus inside, which are then topped with eel sauce, a tiny bit of mayo, shaved bonito, and shredded seaweed. The ones at Poke Okie are definitely different from the ones I’m used to, which isn’t a bad thing, but might catch you off guard if you’re expecting a slightly more traditional version.
It’s mainly in the texture and shape. These are flat on one side, and the interior is softer than I’m used to. The flavor is good—just know that they’re sort of their own creature versus the ones you might already be familiar with.
Before I delve into the poke bowls, we thought we’d try a rice bowl with roast duck ($15.95).
There’s not a lot of places to get roast duck around here, so it’s nice to see the option. This is white rice topped with duck (pork belly, teriyaki mushroom, and barbecue pork are also available), along with cucumbers, peanut sauce, an egg, cilantro, white onions, and green onions.
What I really appreciate is that these cooked options exist on the menu. As popular as raw fish is, some people either don’t like it, or can’t have it (such as pregnant folks). And it’s not that the bowl is bad, it’s perfectly good, hearty, and well portioned, and the presence of duck is a treat—it’s just that man, the poke bowls outshine the rice bowls by a long shot.
If you want to round out your meal, you can add a side salad and miso soup for $8.95, which we did, and the whole combo makes for a well-rounded meal. The miso soup is rich in flavor and not watery, and the seaweed salad provides a fresh bright crunch on the side.
I am easily overwhelmed when having to pick from a menu that’s as sprawling as Poke Okie’s (you should see me at Chipotle), so thankfully, there’s two preset bowls you can ask for.
The three protein scoop one ($13.95) has sushi rice, salmon, spicy octopus, spicy tuna, white and green onions, cilantro, avocado, corn, carrots, cucumber, pineapple, microgreens, poke sauce, sriracha mayo, furikake (rice seasoning), and pickled ginger.
The amount of care that goes into every ingredient in this bowl is very apparent. There’s respect to detail, everything feels fresh and vibrant, and it’s not a cacophony of flavors, like it could have been, it’s a symphony. The particular standouts in this case are the spicy tuna, which is excellent (I could eat an entire pound of it in one sitting), and the pickled ginger, which we kept on the side as an occasional refresher between bites. You feel good eating this food, and you should, because you deserve it.
But man, the five protein scoop bowl is just a stone-cold stunner ($17.95).
Here we go, hold onto your butts: It’s got salmon, spicy tuna, shrimp, tofu, eel, jalapeño, green onions, cilantro, avocado, edamame, mango, purple cabbage, cucumber, seaweed salad, eel sauce, ponzu sauce, crunchy shallots, and shredded seaweed.
If you visit, I really think this is the move. I mean, just look at this thing. It tastes as beautiful as it looks, and it’s so much fun to eat. Every bite is different but balanced, and you should savor each one, because it’s all so fresh, crisp, and refreshing. And both bowls are light on their feet, not just there to fill you up, but to nourish you. When you’re done, you feel good.
It’s easy to dismiss something like a counter service poke place, because yes, it can feel like a trend-hopping thing. I blame the chains for serving bland product while unashamedly angling for money from the health-conscious crowd. And Poke Okie could easily blend in if you’re not paying attention to who’s behind it. But the owners, Peter Shen and Sarinporn Intongkam, were there behind the counter, quietly churning out bowl after beautiful bowl.
Hey, I didn’t expect to be charmed by a poke place either. But Poke Okie fits the bill for me—it’s a mom-and-pop operation, the prices are reasonable, and the quality is terrific. Just a reminder that sometimes you don’t need to overthink food sometimes, just sit, eat, and let it brighten your day.
Poke Okie
2945 N Milwaukee Ave
Chicago, IL 60618
(630) 712-0446
Hours: Open 7 days a week, 11 a.m. - 9 p.m.
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Okay, everyone, enjoy the last few weeks of summer. Love you and see you soon—next week’s for paid subscribers.