Takeout Tuesday: Hawaii Poke Bowl Opens in Maple Grove
Situated along Main Street in Maple Grove is a restaurant that offers a taste of the tropics colorfully packed into a bowl.
“I took a few bites and it inspired me to leave a Google review with a photo,” said Abby Carbajal. “And I’ve never done that before, that’s how good this bowl is.”
High praise from one of the customers of Hawaii Poke Bowl, a Minnesota-based company started by Owen Liu.
“Eating healthier, it’s like a trend,” said Liu, the founder of Hawaii Poke Bowl. “People realize that eating healthier is becoming more important.”
The bowls at Hawaii Poke Bowl are constructed much like something you’d get at Chipotle. But the big difference is that your protein choices consist mostly of raw fish, such as tuna and salmon.
Although if you prefer something cooked, they have that too.
“We have tofu, octopus, crab meat, shrimp and then cooked eel,” Liu said.
Essentially, the cuisine is like sushi, only in the form of a bowl.
The volcano bowl at Hawaii Poke Bowl. The restaurant is located at 7744 Main Street in Maple Grove.
A taste of Hawaii in Minnesota
“We have a friend of ours who was originally from Hawaii, so he was the first one who kind of worked with us to teach us some techniques, recipes,” Liu said.
Now the general public gets to enjoy those recipes and get a taste of island life here in the Twin Cities.
“I ordered the Hawaii Bowl. It has chicken, shrimp, tofu, and I was really drawn to it because of the edamame,” said Carbajal. “I am a huge fan of edamame, and it surpassed expectations. It is delicious.”
The hope is that others feel the same way.
This Maple Grove location opened in March, and the owners want to send a message to folks that healthy food can also be tasty.
“It can be really good. It can be fresh,” said Tat “Darwin” Yeung, the co-owner of the Maple Grove location. “You don’t have to pay a very expensive price for something that’s quality.”
Each bowl costs about $15. A small price to pay for something that’s not only good, but good for you.
“It’s great to have something fast casual that we can stop by and get our vegetable serving for the day,” said Carbajal. “So I think it’s welcome, and I think it’s definitely a great addition to Maple Grove.”
Related: New Hawaii Poke Bowl Restaurant Brings Island Flair to Maple Grove
