Rating: 4.5 out of 5

When I, a self-proclaimed poke enthusiast, heard that there would be a new poke place opening up in the Torrey Highlands Shopping Center near Westview, I was ecstatic and knew that I absolutely had to try it.

Pacific Poke has a small selection of Hawaiian food on its menu, including things like spam musubi ($3.50 for one and $6.50 for two), shaved ice ($4 for a small and $5.50 for a large), fruit teas ($5), and of course, poke ($15.95 for one protein and $17.95 for two).

The first thing I noticed when my mom, who went with me, and I entered the restaurant was the warm welcome that we received.

The counter worker happily greeted us, offered to walk us through the menu, and was very open to answering questions and offering suggestions. My mom and I ordered a one-protein bowl, a two-protein bowl, and a lychee fruit tea that the worker recommended.

Their poke bowl assembly process was pretty standard, starting off with rice or greens, adding protein, and toppings. However, something uncommon is the way they prepare their fish.

They pre-marinate their fish, creating a variety of  proteins to choose from, such as shoyu ahi, spicy salmon, and garlic ahi. I chose the shoyu ahi and the spicy salmon, and it was really good.

The sauces were on point, so much so that it feels like adding soy sauce, as many other poke places have you do, will diminish the overall flavor. In addition to the great sauces, the fresh was extremely fresh, with no fishy taste at all. The texture of the fish was really nice and didn’t feel slimy. I only wish that they added more of the protein portion in each bowl.

Everything else was extremely well done too. The rice was cooked perfectly. It was soft and served at room temperature, which  prevented the whole poke bowl from turning warm and cooking the fish. The toppings, such as seaweed, green onion, and edamame, are also really good, but they’re not too different from other poke stores.

The restaurant as a whole has a pretty narrow eating area, creating a smaller and more intimate feeling between the workers and their customers.

After thoroughly mixing the ingredients together and taking the first bite, the first things I noticed were both the quality and the flavor of the fish. The marinades were really tasty and flavorful, and the fish was very clearly of a higher quality than most other poke places.

Compared to other poke places, the prices aren’t the most unemployed-teen-friendly. However, the high quality of the fish makes them more understandable.

Overall, the customer service was really nice and gave the restaurant a really comfortable, friendly vibe. Although the prices were a little high, all of the ingredients were of extremely high quality, making the whole experience all the better.