Poki Run — Restaurant in Milpitas

My first impression was that this is not a good value at all. I got a regular sized bowl for just over $14. Then I saw they only put a tiny scoop of crab in it so I asked for more crab and that was extra. Most places give you the regular ice cream scoop full of crab and this was just a tiny mini scoop. Same with the masago and when I asked for extra it was $1.50 extra for more masago so instead I went with adding tobiko for the additional $2. But I was still excited and expected it to be good. Unfortunately it was not. Thankfully the fish was fresh but the avocado tasted old and passed its date. It still looked okay but the taste was bad. The onions also tasted bad. And you could see that some of the onions are transparent which is a bad sign so I picked them out. The cucumbers were a tad bit slimy but tasted okay so I ate them. And then I got to the rice and dang it I could not believe it because I've never experienced this before... But the rice actually tasted moldy. I did not see any mold but I couldn't eat it. And on top of all this, the flavors just weren't there. Even if all of the produce and ingredients had been on point, the sauce was almost flavorless. I had gone with the house sauce in case anyone is curious. This was literally the worst poke bowl I have ever had. Before I wrote this review I called the restaurant to tell them that someone should do a quality control check on the rice, white onions and avocado. The lady told me that the avocados have been having issues because of supply lately. If that is the case and they taste bad and just ever so slightly rotten, then why serve them at all? Anyway, I'm pretty sure this is my first one star review, but this was the worst poke I have...

New poke location that's relatively close to work. I can see myself coming here every now and then for lunch if I'm in the mood for some poke.

I really like their simple menu. I do like their ability to give us plenty of choices to customize our bowls.

I got the large bowl with brown rice and greens, which gave me 5 fish choices (they have tai, salmon, ahi tuna, spicy tuna, shrimp, and yellowtail), but I just chose everything but shrimp. The sides such as seaweed salad, crab meat, onions, cucumbers can be included as well (but why would you not include them?!). Overall it was delicious and I loved my choices.

Price wise, it seems to be on par with most poke places from what I've seen on the menu. I think if you go here you might as well get the large as it's just a few bucks more. Portion-wise, I think it's adequate and while some people might complain that it's too little and they wished they had more, well, this is just how the portions usually are for poke. I compare getting a poke bowl to getting a special sushi roll. No one gets full off of one roll, you know? Most people usually order two just to be satisfied. Anyway, not gonna go into too deep about what are the best portion sizes, as it's different for everyone, but I guess that was just some perspective on it.

All right, check this place out if you're craving for some poke and you want it quick with some great...

When I worked in Milpitas I used to visit this place about once a week. The fish quality has always been hit or miss, which is probably the most important quality in a poke place. Recently, as with most things, the prices have increased a fair bit. I don't mind paying, but I am value-oriented in my decision making, and with the price increase and the average quality this will no longer be a visited site for me. The fish today was mealy instead of firm and I left with a fishy taste in my mouth for the next few hours.

I recommend Bowl K Poke & Bowl in East SJ if you have the capacity to travel, you can read my review there.

Pros:

Toppings such as avocado, seaweed salad, and crab salad are included in the price.

They offer black rice as an option. I haven't seen anywhere else that does it, and I actually prefer it flavor wise (but benefit wise it is superior to white or brown since it is the whole rice grains unsttripped).

They offer Tobiko as an option for an extra charge.

Their miso soup is affordable.

Cons:

Not as affordable, comparatively, as they used to be.

Fish quality has been fairly...