Tonight’s dinner was very good!!! Poke bowls are definitely becoming popular for a reason—and now I know why ?. 

We took a chance and tried the new Poke Bros ? that opene in Frankfort, Illinois (another one I hear is opening in Orland Park soon too!). 

What Does Poke Mean?

With how globalized our world has become, most people are familiar with the concept of the bowl entree (Wow Bow anyone?). It’s like making your own salad at a buffet or BBQ. It’s like building your own burrito at Chipotle. It’s like building your own sub sandwich at Fire House Subs, Subway, or wherever. Being able to customize meals is here to stay, and the restaurant and food industry understands its necessity when it comes to not only capturing the affordable meal seeker, but also the wealthy consumers. And when you have a family with wide ranging tastes, it’s oh so convenient to be able to make everyone happy, especially when you’re ordering takeout. And

Poke/pɔːˈkɛəˈr/ (Hawaiian for “to slice” or “cut crosswise into pieces”; sometimes stylized ‘poké’ to aid pronunciation) is diced raw fish served either as an appetizer or a main course and is one of the main dishes of Native Hawaiian cuisine. 

If you’re unfamiliar with how to build your own poke bowl, or not sure what to put in yours, I’m happy to tell you what we had and definitely what we picked out for our daughter’s poke bowl. Young kids are not easy to figure out when it comes to eating food besides snack foods like cheese, chocolate, and olives—those are our daughter’s favorites right now.

What To Order For A Toddler or Picky Eater From Poke Bros

With kids, approach building a poke bowl with safe choices and things they really love to eat ona regular or semi-regular basis.

There is a Kids Bowl called the Keiki Bowl, which has Crab Stick, Cucumber, Masago, Tempura Flakes—but these ingredients are unfamiliar to most American children and if you have doubts that they’ll like most of those ingredients, here’s the sure fire one that worked for our 3.5 year old daughter:

The Base:

• Brown rice
• White rice
• Sushi rice
• Salad leaves

We chose white rice because it’s simple and won’t taste funny like brown rice or sushi rice might.

The Protein:

• Salmon (Regular or Spicy)
• Tuna (Regular, Spicy, or Marinated)
• Shrimp (Regular or Spicy)
• Chicken (Regular or Spicy)
• Salad leaves

Seafood isn’t always hit for kids initially, chicken is the safest bet universally I think.

The Ingredients:

• Jalapeno
• Edamame
• Carrot
• Masago
• Seaweed Salad
• Sweet Onion
• Green Onion
• Ginger
• Avocado
• Corn
• Cucumber
• Pineapple
• Tofu
• Crab Stick

We went with the edamame, corn, and avocado because we know she loves all those. The crab stick was just to see if she’d go for it—she didn’t want to try it.

The Flavor/Sauces:

• Ponzu Sauce
• Gochujang
• Sweet Soy
• Sriracha Aioli
• Wasabi Aioli
• Coconut Ginger

We erred on the side of caution and didn’t choose a sauce. We knew we could always add something from home that we know she likes, like orange sauce.

The Toppings

• Sesame Seeds
• Tempura Flakes
• Crispy Onion
• Wonton Chips
• Crushed Cashew Nuts
• Toasted Coconut

Again, we erred on the side of caution and didn’t add any of the topping options.

You can check out the full menu at Poke Bros, as well as other pieces of information about options and ordering, on their website.

From our experience, sticking to more of a simple, blank slate approach with our toddler’s bowl worked best. Minimal food waste and no worries us. You know your child(ren) best, so go with your gut always; they say the gut is the second brain for a reason. ☺️

Copycat Bonefish Grill Tuna Poke Bowl

My introduction to poke bowls was about 20 years ago when my parents and I first vacationed in Hawaii. Then a few years ago, poke came back into my life via Bonefish Grill in Orland Park. You don’t see poke every day in the U.S., not yet anyway, but I think a restaurant chain devoted to the yummy dish (like Poke Bros) is going to change that.

Must-Have:

• Tuna (regular, spicy, or marinated).
• Mango
• Avocado
• Sweet chili sauce
• Rice (I prefer sushi rice)

I also added edamame and the fake crab to my custom poke bowl because I liked the idea of mixing those in. Then I cut everything up in bite sized pieces, mix them all together into a stew of flavors, and enjoy.

“The Duke” Poke Bowl

“The Duke” as its called is all about salmon, and my husband’s favorite fish is salmon. He loved it and so that means we are both hooked on Poke Bros together.

Big Take Away About Poke Bros

I love how they’ve made poke bowls accessible, fun, and inviting for the masses and their tagline perfect conveys how I’d best summarize Poke Bros: “bringing Hawaiian cuisine’s best kept secret to the Midwest.”

The ingredients are really fresh—you cannot fake those colors of the ingredients.

The prices is reasonable, accounting for quality, quantity, presentation, convience, etc.

And the best part about the poke bowls themselves is how light you feel after eating your bowl—not a common thing. Not to admonish Bonefish Grill, because the two bowls do have some key differences, but I felt like how vegans and health nuts talk about how you should feel after eating. You feel recharged, light, really positive, and the aftertaste that lingers in your mouth is the next best leftover. See for yourself though. And if ask where you learned about them, tell them Stephanie or Tinley Park Mom told you. ?