OKI Poke & Ramen — Restaurant in New York

This was a very disappointing experience today...

I first discovered this place on a walk a few months ago and placed a to-go order -- and it was fantastic! So much so, that I put Oki Poke into regular rotation for our weekly corporate team lunch. It was a hit whenever we ordered!

But I'm not sure what happened over the last couple months...

Two weeks ago, I was not in the office to manage lunch orders, but feedback was brought to me that the orders were messed up (or rather, that they received the wrong order entirely).

I didn't want to personally write off Oki Poke altogether just for that - it happens! I understood my coworkers' frustrations, but I decided it was still worth continuing to order from here.

But unfortunately, we will now have to remove Oki Poke from our corporate lunch rotation and remove it from the list of recommended local lunch spots that we circulate to our employees, visitors, and guests.

The complaint? Sauce.

Sauces are mixed in, unless you specify to have it on the side (obviously), or extra on the side.

Eleven people ordered bowls and every single person said they either didn't taste the sauce or that there was barely in it.

I noticed a pattern upon reviewing their individual orders. Specifically those who had a more liquidy sauce (yuzu, ponzu, lemongrass) felt that there was NO sauce at all, apart from the slight color to the center of the rice, you wouldn't think there was sauce. However, those with thicker sauces could better see the sauce, but felt it was significantly lacking.

So yes, was the sauce inside the bowl? Technically, maybe. But if people have to guess whether their bowls have sauce mixed in because they can't see or taste them, and complain that the bowls taste bland, then you might as well have NOT included sauce.

Why have you become so stingy with sauce? They are the most cost-effective thing on a menu, apart from rice.

We called to raise our concern and they kept urging us to just eat the bowl and we'll taste the sauce. But people WERE already eating their bowls and complaining to ME that they did not think they had any sauce - and I felt the same with my bowl.

Like I said, if people have to guess whether there's sauce in the bowl and complain of bland taste, then there is next to no sauce.

My advice to you? If you're not eating in or checking your to-go order before you leave, then to be safe, always order on the side, and order extra. Though, you'll accrue the additional cost. Or you'll get lucky and the person preparing your bowl will actually include a sufficient amount of sauce.

That, or you can avoid taking the bet and just go to Yum Yubu around the corner inside the food court. A colleague suggested that their fish tastes fresher, too (though to give Oki credit, I do think their fish is also fresh!)

Anyway, truly disappointing that you cannot manage a negative experience because that's what people remember the most - the negative experience at an establishment, despite having several good ones previously. You lose trust in the consistency of the establishment, and that is what...

I was in New York's east side for an event and needed a place to get lunch. Walking around and deciding on Japanese food I came across Oki Poke & Ramen. For me, the ordering process was confusing, automation, but the person who worked there came over and helped me. I ordered a bowl dish and asked for Cold Japanese Green Tea.. not unheard of in a Japanese eatery. Sadly no cold Japanese green tea. Having decided on another type of unheard-of brand of tea, i received my bowl and sat down to eat. Well it certainly wasn't Japanese...it tried to taste Japanese but it just wasn't. Look I love Japanese food. I even cook some Japanese food so my pallet is accustomed to Japanese food nuances. Now the tea...it was terrible. So I'm certainly not ever going back there but keep in mind that this was my experience and taste is subjective. Go there and decide...

I really miss my two go-to ramen places in this neighborhood: Bow Ramen and Ramen Takumi. Bow seems to have been done in by/during the pandemic (LOVED that place) and Takumi the year before it. This place feels like what I fear a modern, impersonal, robotic type of ramen shop might be like in Tokyo. You order from a touchscreen and the kitchen is in the back behind glass. Granted, I was there around 3 pm and it was dead but my other two above, still felt warm and friendly at such hours. This felt rather sterile. I had a tonkotsu ramen. It wasn't bad, it was just rather bland. The bowls were disposable as was all the cutlery. It feels as though many of the reviewers have never had a really great bowl of ramen and I pity them. The place was...