Looking for a healthy eating option? Try a Hawaiian poke bowl in downtown State College
Poke Fresh recently opened in downtown State College and, according to general manager Dason Wu, the Hawaiian-inspired restaurant specializing in poke bowls has become a quick favorite with Penn State students and locals alike who are looking for a healthy and convenient meal.
If you’re not yet familiar with the concept, poke — pronounced poh-kay — stems from a Hawaiian term for “cutting” and a traditional poke bowl typically includes cut, raw fish combined with rice, vegetables, spices and other fresh ingredients. The dish has grown significantly in popularity over the last few years, especially in large cities and in fast-casual restaurants, thanks in part to the dish’s ease of customization, social media-friendly visual appeal and reputation as a healthy alternative to other fast-casual food.
Poke Fresh offers a range of make-your-own and signature poke bowls, but if you’re not a seafood fan, no worries. The restaurant also serves a chicken poke bowl, with sweet corn, edamame, cucumber, chickpeas and black beans, as well as a vegan poke bowl with vegetarian chicken and tofu.
For those who’ve never tried a poke bowl, Wu said the easiest way to think about the dish is like a bowl of sushi. “Basically everything is there, but we just don’t wrap up the sushi. We put it in a bowl,” he explained.
Wu estimates the customer base is about 90% Penn State students and 10% locals.
“Customers are coming back probably twice or three times a week,” Wu said. “They think it’s very healthy and very fresh. We cut our fish in the morning each day and I think one of the main things (keeping) customers coming back is our service.”
Current crowd favorite options on the menu include the Poke Fresh Special, with salmon, tuna, scallops and pineapple, as well as the Fire Fresh poke bowl, which incorporates spicy mayo, wasabi peas and other ingredients for a spicy kick. The Vegan Fresh poke bowl, Wu added, is also popular with customers looking for the healthiest options, regardless of whether or not they follow a vegan or vegetarian diet.
Beyond poke bowls, Poke Fresh also offers healthful accompaniments like smoothies and teas, as well as bubble milk tea and ice cream waffles. The ice cream waffles, Wu said, are particularly notable. “You can only get it here,” he said. “It’s a Hong Kong-style waffle, originally from Hong Kong. ... It’s crispy and then, when you bite inside, it’s soft.”
Hong Kong-style egg waffles are known for their honeycomb-like appearance, covered in hollow spheres or bubbles that are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside; the unique shape is achieved by using a special mold and, once cooked, the waffles can be folded to hold scoops of ice cream. The combination of egg waffle and ice cream is one Wu calls “amazing.”
As Poke Fresh only opened over the summer, Wu said the menu hasn’t evolved much yet, but seasonal changes are on the horizon, like the addition of hot drink offerings, like hot bubble milk tea, to the menu for the winter. For the time being, though, he’s focused on continuing to offer students a healthy option, right next to campus.
“That’s the main reason we do the poke bowls,” he said. “So many customers come back and tell me that, oh, our food is one of the healthiest (options) in town.”
Poke Fresh is open Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m. and Friday and Saturday until 10 p.m., at 328 E. Calder Way in State College. Poke Fresh also offers delivery via GrubHub, DoorDash and UberEats. Learn more and see the restaurant’s full menu at pokefreshpa.com.
