Stacy S.
Yelp
Yes, another poke place has sprouted up in South OC, but when I learned that Chef Sheldon Simeon was the brain child behind it, I knew I had to check it out! Chef Sheldon is well-known on the Hawaiian islands, specifically Maui where he is the chef owner of Maui Tin Roof. You may also recognize his name from Bravo's TV Show, Top Chef.
Pokeworks is located in the Ocean Ranch Village shopping center in Laguna Niguel. They're strategically located right next to the Cinepolis movie theater, giving them plenty of opportunity to draw in the movie crowd. It's a small hole in the wall with no seating inside, but quite a few tables outside. They just opened this location last week, which may explain the few Yelp reviews thus far. Plenty of parking is available in the shopping center.
I was greeted by an outgoing, friendly girl named Chelsea. Come to find out, she used to live on the Big Island, which may explain why she really had that aloha spirit! This is your typical poke bowl place where you select your base, protein, toppings, etc. They have a few different sauces that I had never tried before, such as Umami Shoyu (honey bonito infused soy), and different mix-ins, such as ogo seaweed, hijiki seaweed and mandarin oranges. They also had unique toppings such as lotus chips and macadamia nuts, which definitely lean towards the poke bowls that you might find in Hawaii. They also have the typical toppings, including avocado, which was a bit expensive at $1.50 for a small scoop.
I had asked for my bowls to go, and since my hubby wouldn't be eating his bowl until later, she put the rice in one bowl and the fish/toppings in another bowl so that I could put the fish in the frig without getting the rice cold. Chelsea also gave me a different sauce that she recommended to try with my salad, which was very nice. But what REALLY stood out was I had noticed that they sold Coco Mango Haupia. I mentioned that I used to live on the islands for many years and loved haupia, and she gave me one for free! Who does that?!
When I finally got home and dug into my poke bowl, I have to say that it wasn't the most amazing bowl I ever had. I thought that the different toppings would add some excitement to my bowl, but unfortunately it didn't. I'd give the overall poke bowl 4 stars. My husband got the sushi rice as his base, but the rice tasted just like regular rice. In terms of pricing, it's a bit steeper than most places. My husband got a large bowl with avocado and his came out to $15. I got the regular bowl for $10.95. Total came out to $27.96 with tax, and then adding tip put it over the $30+ mark for 2 poke bowls. Ouch.
Service, however, was exceptional. Chelsea gives a great first impression, and Chef Sheldon should be proud of the friendly team members at the Laguna Niguel location.