Ryan F.
Yelp
Had lunch at Sunny Poke on Sunday afternoon. Selected the Create Your Own Bowl with Spicy Tuna as my protein.
Quality
Always searching for a great poke bowl, I stumbled on Sunny Poke and knew I had to check it out. None of the signature bowls stood out to me, so I decided to go with the Create Your Own Bowl. They start with a selection of white rice, brown rice, mesclun salad, or noodles. This was the first place I have seen noodles as an option, but I still stuck with my standard white rice. For fish the choices were kani kami, tuna, spicy tuna, salmon, and inari tofu. Once again I appreciated the different choices, but still went back to spicy tuna. But, after seeing them scoop it out I immediately regretted my decision. I find I do not like how the pre-mixed spicy tuna looks or tastes. I wish I had selected just the standard tuna, as the spicy tuna was not as fresh as I would have hoped. Seventeen assorted toppings then follow with the tempura crumbs, pickled red onions, and edamame among the best ones I added in. For sauce I went with spicy mayo and wasabi aioli, though eel sauce and sesame soy were available as well. They then had around fifteen other toppings, including extra protein, with additional charges attached, of which I only selected seaweed salad. Overall I was not particularly impressed with this bowl. The fish was not that great, the ratios of everything were off, and hot rice would stick to the sides of the cardboard bowl making it a challenge to eat.
Quantity
I felt like the bowl was a little small, especially in comparison to other poke places, but it was the tiny portion of fish that was my bigger issue. I ended up eating about half my bowl with no protein because the ratio was entirely off. A double portion is definitely a requirement.
Value
With the add on of seaweed salad, my bowl ended up costing $16. Considering the size of the bowl and the small amount of fish it came with, I found it too expensive.
Ambiance
Sunny Poke is located in the Sunset Harbour area of Miami Beach. This hip community continues to grow and add new restaurants at a rapid pace. Sunny Poke is part of the eastward expansion and is connected to its more formal sister restaurant Sushi Garage. Getting in the entrance is a bit strange as there is no direct stairway from the sidewalk to the front door. Instead you need to loop around the railings to get in. Outside they have a collection of tables for individuals who want to eat on-site. Inside the space is small, but has everything you could need. You walk to the end of the counter to start your order and make your way to the register at the end. A few stools also sit at a window bar inside if its too warm to enjoy your meal outdoors. The space itself was very modern and extremely clean. No music was playing during my visit, which was a little creepy.
Crowd
When I arrived there was only one person at the restaurant finishing a bowl outside. Two more people stopped in while I was eating, but it felt very dead on Sunday afternoon. Considering the swarms of people leaving yoga and fitness classes in the nearby area, I was surprised it was not a bigger draw for the health conscious crowd.
Service
They had three people working behind the counter on this slow Sunday afternoon, and they were a little too eager when I entered. Before I even had a chance to even take a look at the menu they were asking me what I wanted to eat. However, I was impressed by the cleanliness, both inside and out, which having extra help definitely made possible.
Parking
Since I was running a few other errands in the area, I ended up parking at the garage two blocks away. Street parking nearby is almost three times as expensive, so if you don't mind a short walk, the garage is your best bet.
Extra
I just was not very impressed with my meal at Sunny Poke. While I appreciated the expanded menu giving different and unique choices, I felt the prices were too high considering the small portions. I also think they need to ditch the cardboard bowls immediately. As a relatively new spot, there is still time to improve, but in an area nearly bursting with food options that time will be limited.
