Where will you find the best poké—a raw fish salad served as an appetizer in Hawaiian cuisine—in L.A.? Look no further.
SWEETFIN POKE
It’s hard to beat Sweetfin Poké—everything here is aces, from its culinary pedigree—Top Chef star Dakota Weiss is the head of culinary operations—to its airy, ambient atmosphere, to its actual poké, well, we’re a little bit obsessed. The range of bowls here are incredible: our favorites include a spicy tuna confection with creamy togarashi sauce, hijiki and avocado; the avo-coco albacore with pineapple, fresno chili, mint and snow peas; and the kale snapper with Napa cabbage and red onions, it’s no wonder this eatery is such a sweet fan favorite.
829 Broadway, Santa Monica; (310) 395-1097,sweetfinpoke.com
A-FRAME CULVER CITY
At master chef Roy Choi’s Culver City hangout which describes itself as “Hawaiian soul food with an L.A. outlook” you’ll find both a poké of the day for $15 or a poké sampler for $16 with sublime choices such as tuna with gochujang sauce, sesame leaves and tuna with kukui nut chili pesto and Parmesan. 12565 W Washington Blvd., Los Angeles, www.aframela.com
SPINFISH
Spinfish is the adventurer’s poké place thanks to a wide variety of unique, house-made, fusion-inspired sauces. Pick your fish—be it ahi tuna, salmon, albacore or Japanese yellowtail, toss with a signature sauce and eat. Not to fear though: this fresh sashimi can also be enjoyed by purist’s: the traditional style sesame shoyu that originated from Hawaii is also available.
36 W Colorado Blvd Ste 7, Pasadena, www.spinfishpoke.com/
POKÉ CAFE
The folks at Poké really embrace the Hawaiian spirit: everyone who walks through its doors are treated like “Ohana” (family). At this low-key eatery, you’ll find new school versions of sushi grade fish marinated specially atop a bowl with your choice of toppings. You also choose the level of spiciness you can handle for your sauce and we have to say: some like it hot, and so do we.
120 N Brand Blvd, Glendale, https://www.poke-cafe.com/
HANJIP
This Korean BBQ spot in Culver City offers up an awesome poké bowl heaping with fresh tuna and ikura (salmon caviar), which you’ll be hard-pressed to find at any other poké shop in Tinseltown.
3829 Main St, Culver City, hanjip.com/
SNOCIETY
Snociety Urban Eatery is an excellent place to hang out, use free Wi-Fi, listen to Spotify, watch cult classics like the Gilmore Girls and tuck into some awesome poké. Pick your bowl size, your fish (squid, shrimp and scallops are also available in addition to your signature salmon and albacore, as well as tofu for vegan eaters), a sauce, endless toppings including kale, mango, pineapple, ginger, masago and kimchi and your base—noodles, salad or rice—and prepare to spend the day.
30 E. Second St., Little Tokyo; https://www.snocietyla.com/
OKIPOKI
You know that OkiPoki has an adorable name, but you might not know that these Snapchat-worthy bowls taste as good as they look. Kitschy names like “Baby’s Got Shrimp”—shrimp, lemon slices, pickled watermelon radish, peanuts and honey mint sauce—make this restaurant way more fun than your average dining experience.
507 S. Spring St., downtown; (213) 628-3378, okipokila.com.
