808 Poke Bowls Okinawa
Spicy ahi and miso wasabi flavor
Poke bowls are one of my favorite things to eat when I'm home in Hawaii. I usually have it about 2 or 3 times a month when I really should only have it once a month. It's just so tasty, how can I only have once a month? Poke is also easily accessible in Hawaii since most of the supermarkets and even smaller markets, including Safeway will sell it by the pound if you want a serving, sans rice. In Hawaiian, "poke" means "to cut," which makes the poke bowl is pretty straightforward where it is made up of diced fish over rice. Without the rice, it's just poke. Mainland USA tried to make it the next food "trend" because it's healthy but that's really a whole lot of nonsense. Just because you switch the rice for vegetables, doesn't make it a poke salad...it's just a fish salad. I'm not opposed to it since I do quite like vegetables but don't call it a poke salad. **Okay, rant done.
Although poke is easy to make, I can never get the flavors right. I started to crave poke right around my third or second month in Okinawa. Getting it in Japan can sometimes be difficult because of the skewed fish to rice ratio. More often than not, the rice portion is much bigger than fish portion which is not worth it in my opinion.
Their menu is pretty straightforward. You start by choosing what size bowl you want (I usually go with the large because of the journey just to get there), type of rice, if you want to make it a combo with 2 to 3 choices (the menu pictured above is an older version since the current versions include more flavors of poke and the 3 combo option). For my toppings, I usually get 海ぶどう umi budou (sea grapes) or とびこ tobiko (fish roe), plus the free toppings that already come with the bowl. Flavors that are not shown on this menu also include shoyu wasabi and miso wasabi. Every few months they will also come out with a new flavor such as spicy yuzu, honey ginger miso, limu shoyu, and spicy teriyaki. I highly recommend following them on Instagram @808pokebowlsokinawa to find out their opening hours and whether or not they have sold out of product.
If poke is not your jam, 808 Poke Bowls Okinawa also sells acai bowls. I haven't ordered one myself since I'm usually stuffed after consuming my poke bowl, but from what I've tasted, the acai bowls are also quite good.
I've been to Hawaiian food restaurants before in Tokyo where they have a version of poke bowls on the menu but usually it's not worth getting because the rice to fish ratio is not even. Four years ago when I was studying abroad in Tokyo, I went to one in Shibuya and I basically got a whole bowl of rice with a handful of raw tuna that wasn't even marinated.
That's what makes 808 Poke Bowls Okinawa so great is because their portion sizes are an even ratio. The flavor profiles of the poke are also spot-on. The owners say they lived in Hawaii for about a year and they've managed to recreate the flavors of poke from Hawaii. I've lived in Hawaii for over 18+ years and I still can't get the flavors right.
If you're from Hawaii, were stationed in Hawaii, or you just like poke, take a drive up north to Onna to visit 808 Poke Bowls Okinawa. I highly recommend going early when they open because they have been getting more and more popular, so expect to wait a bit when it is busy. The restaurant is sandwiched between two parking spots that are open to the public. There is also more parking behind the restaurant. If you are coming from the southern Okinawa, turn right on the street that's right before the restaurant, at the first 4-way intersection, make a left down the hill, and you will see parking available behind the establishment.
P.S. I was not paid to say this. I just really love poke and this is the best place to get it in Okinawa. I used to come here twice a paycheck (monthly) but now I basically come here every other weekend.