Indulge in Delicious Poke, Sushi and Desserts at the New Carlsbad Restaurant
Written By: Amanda Lenox Pokewan Carlsbad
Husband and wife team James and Jenny Pyo, of Love Boat Sushi, Blue Ocean Robata and Sushi Bar, and Blue Smoke Sushi Lounge have a new hit with their fast casual style restaurant, Pokewan. “Anytime a customer asked me to make a poke bowl [at Blue Ocean], I’d make it for them,” says Chef James Pyo. This rise in popularity of poke bowls inspired him and his wife to open an individual location that specializes in the dish, that he calls “healthy casual.” They created the Pokewan restaurant to be a fun environment for customers.
The décor of the restaurant is clean and simple mixed with an interactive element. All of the tables at the restaurant have a phrase with an arrow pointing to where your poke bowl would be placed, such as “Stay Fresh” or “Don’t be Hangry.” This fun, decorative touch makes it the perfect backdrop for some social media-worthy pictures. The rest of the restaurant is emblazoned with the fish logo, which is even found carved into the wooden stools.
When first walking up to the counter, diners can choose from the list of signature bowls ($11.95) or can make their own from an endless list of toppings. The make-your-own bowls come in two sizes, happy (2 scoops of protein) or happier (4 scoops of protein). They have the option of having a healthier base like quinoa or cucumber noodles instead of rice. If unsure how to make your own bowl, try signature bowls like the Pokewan Original or the Miso Nutty. The Pokewan Original bowl has albacore, cilantro, sweet onion, rice popcorn, black sesame seeds, red radish, masago, scallion, chef blend and spicy ginger sauce. The Miso Nutty bowl comes with spicy tuna, albacore, and yellowtail served on seasoned rice, topped with macadamia nuts, corn, candied ginger, watermelon radish, sweet onion, scallion, masago, furikake, sriracha, rayu chili oil, ponzu and miso sauce. Also, available are sushi rolls (2 pieces) and nigiri (1 piece) that are individually packaged.
Although you may feel stuffed after consuming their delicious bowls, you can’t leave Pokewan without trying one of their amazing desserts. Chef James uses creativity and innovation in his dessert choices. One of his must-try desserts is the Jolly Cane Ice Cream, which is a cane-shaped cone made out of yellow corn and stuffed with ice cream. Unlike a regular ice cream cone, it stays crisp without getting soggy or messy. Their Brown Rice Puffs, which are popped in-house, are the perfect snack that come pre-packaged, so if you’re too full immediately after, you can munch on them later. Also available as desserts are Dole whip and Dole whip floats.
Pokewan in Carlsbad expects to have a soft opening mid- to late-February and a grand opening to follow soon after. A second location will be opening later in Del Mar.
Pokewan
2958 Madison St
Carlsbad, CA 92008
760.720.2300
Innovative and Fresh Flavor Pairings to be Expected at Pokewan
