The Poke Box — Restaurant in Markham

Food : 3 Service : 3 Ambience : 3 Value : 3 Parking : 2

I came here after reviewing its good reviews, and some other negative reviews as well. Why not, giving a try, even its cost a little bit pricey.

"Favourite poke place in Markham. Their ingredients are fresh, and portions are great."

"What I don't like and is making me think twice of going back is the inconsistency of portions. Depending on who is serving you. The portions could get noticeably limited."

"Also great service with friendly staff. Clean and nicely designed restaurant too."

I was confusing where was its order line, if you’re first time customer. Should I start from cashier or food stand counter.

After few struggle, I recognized where i can start to order..

I started my order, poke box and Big Umami from preset overhead menu for takeout.

Marinated goodness. ahi, salmon, cucumber, red onion, edamame, tamago, seaweed salad, crab salad, shoyu.

Just umami me salmon, ahi tuna, cabbage sweet, onion, avocado, seaweed salad, tempura bits, shoyu (sauce).

Of course, you can choose various types of rice or even replace it with quinoa and vegetables as the base. Surfs Up with extra salmon, crab meat, fish egg and avocado till your wallet has broken.

Not a great food experience, whilst i was ordering and standing in front of food stand counter, I recognized few weaknesses of "The Poke Box".

** most of its food ingredient containers or compartments were empty, the staff were so busy and still scooping up unevenly portions.

** mind staffing; food stand counter should be sanitized and cleaned up those fallen off food ingredients during food preparation.

** display The Poke Box menu on overhead screening, however it displays a lot of information and too crowded, occasionally it scared first time customer(s).

** for convenience to your first time customer (s), few hard printed posters that display on wall or counter, giving us more time to study.

Super good food, except a little pricy. Unfortunately we tasted and found tuna and avocado were really not refreshed as...

During my three visits, I noticed that the ingredients used in the meals were fresh and flavorful. However, there was one significant problem that persisted each time—I became extremely thirsty for hours after the meal. This made me wonder if an excessive amount of MSG was used in the food preparation. While I appreciate the deliciousness of the dishes, the prolonged thirstiness prevents me from returning for more. It would be great if the restaurant could reassess their seasoning choices to ensure a more balanced and enjoyable dining experience.

2023 update - I managed to identify the culprit behind the prolonged thirstiness issue I experienced before. It turns out that one of the finishing touches, possibly the deep-fried garlic, was contributing to it. However, after omitting that particular ingredient from my order, I can confidently say that my whole Poke bowl was truly wholesome and awesome! The flavors were delightful, and I no longer felt excessively thirsty afterward. I'm glad that I discovered this solution and can now fully enjoy the deliciousness of the meal. I highly recommend trying the Poke bowl without the deep-fried garlic for an...

This is a cool place. They gave us a generous portion.I got the lava blaze while my daughter got a build your own bowl. It was our first time trying this place and the menu was a little complicated but when we went to the counter to order, the guy helping us gave us a warm welcome and a throughout explanation of the menu which helped a lot. The salmon was very delightfully tasty and all the ingredients were fresh and delicious. My daughter’s bowl had a sushi rice base and some salmon, masago,cabbage, carrots and the classic shoyu sauce and she loved it and would like to return again sometime. The lava bowl’s spice was just right. If you like sriracha this is a good poke bowl to try. This restaurant is situated at the corner of the plaza with two tables and a set of barstools by the window, good for takeouts and quick lunches. One thing that they could improve on would be to simplify the menu so that we can easily understand the pricing. Overall good place, would come back sometime for a...