Hawaiian and Japanese cooking styles combine at Poke Time, a recently opened restaurant in Destiny USA.

The restaurant, located on the second floor of the mall, portrays the two cultures through their two main dishes, poke and ramen noodle soup.

Fish options include ahi tuna, salmon, yellowtail, shrimp, scallops, octopus and eel. For those who don’t like seafood or are plant-based eaters, the new food spot also serves bowls with chicken, steak and tofu.

The freshness of the ingredients are essential, said manager Michael Chang.

“We are making it with fresh ingredients every day — fresh fish, ahi tuna, salmon, fresh salads,” Chang said.

The restaurant serves pork, chicken or seafood ramen bowls, with the base options of soy sauce broth, miso or chicken/pork broth, in addition to the alternative noodle soup bowls.

While ramen is an option for those who don’t want poke, the two items have been equally as popular, Chang said, adding that many customers are trying poke for the first time. But they have also had some people come who were originally from Hawaii and were accustomed to poke.

Through the “create your own bowl” style and a few signature dishes that Poke Time has, the menu appeals to many eaters, Chang explained.

The manager said he believes Poke Time will do well because of its market, since poke is a popular item for the “younger generation,” and that it’s very trendy.

“Poke is a trend, starting from LA to New York City,” Chang said. “It’s been popping up everywhere, but mostly in the city.”

Syracuse has no other poke-specialized restaurant. Poke Time’s only other competitor would be Original Grain, which serves poke bowls that are not its centerpiece.

While business is looking good for Poke Time, Chang said one thing the business is worried about is that the restaurant isn’t located in the mall’s food court but instead on the outskirts of the mall near P.F. Chang’s. He described the location as “hit-or-miss.”

But, through social media outreach and keeping up with food trends, Chang intends to stay ahead of the game.

Published on December 5, 2017 at 9:51 pm

Contact Sarah: srslavin@syr.edu