Build-your-own poke bowl spot Poke Doke will open in the CWE

Central West End will soon see its first build-your-own poke bowl restaurant, Poke Doke. As reported by St. Louis Magazine, siblings Andrew, Annie, Leon and Steve Shih will open Poke Doke at 8 S. Euclid Ave., in October.

While riffs on the Hawaiian raw fish salad have popped up on St. Louis menus for years, this will be the city’s first dedicated poke restaurant. Andrew Shih called the dish “the Chipotle of sushi bowls.”

After 10 years running Hot Wok Cafe in Chesterfield with his father, Shih said he and his siblings decided to start the restaurant after eating poke bowls nearly every time they traveled outside St. Louis. They also have family and friends who operate poke restaurants in Los Angeles.

Shih said frequent fresh fish deliveries will ensure quality at Poke Doke. “We fly [the fish] in that same day, the second it gets fished out of the water,” he said “Within 48 hours, it’s at our table. Our No. 1 job is to keep everything fresh.”

Customers will build their own bowls, starting with a base of white or brown rice, noodles or salad greens, then pick a protein such as tofu, octopus, raw tuna or salmon. Next, they’ll choose a spice level for the sauce, and finally choose from toppings like cucumbers, pineapple, fried shallots, Sriracha and eel sauce. Other dishes such as pot stickers, miso soup and crab Rangoon will be available.

Shih said Poke Doke will seat about 30 inside with additional patio seating available. He hopes to be open daily for lunch and dinner service.

Rachel Wilson is an editorial intern at Sauce Magazine.