Sovereign: Poke, Boba, Asian Kitchen — Restaurant in Plantation

DISAPPOINTED LOYALTY CUSTOMER

I’ve been a loyal customer of Sovereign since they opened and have always enjoyed their PokeBowls—until my most recent visit, which unfortunately changed my perception of this place.

I came in around 8 p.m., well before closing time at 10, and placed my order as usual. When I moved down the line to select my toppings, I noticed almost everything was empty. At first, I thought they might be closing early, but after checking the time, I realized that wasn’t the case.

I then noticed an employee cleaning out the freezer that stores the toppings, which explained why nothing was available. However, this seemed like a task that should be done after hours or at least in a way that doesn’t completely halt service. No one acknowledged me, no one said anything about the delay, and I stood there waiting while other customers began coming in and ordering. I was still standing in the same spot with no updates or assistance.

Eventually, an employee came over and started prepping what looked like to-go bowls without saying a word to me. It wasn’t until I spoke up and asked if anyone was going to help me that she suddenly said one of the bowls was mine and asked for my toppings. I honestly don’t believe she was about to help me before I said something, which made me feel like I wasn’t a priority despite being physically in the store.

To be fair, she was nice and seemed flustered after I spoke up, and I understand if the team was short-staffed or overwhelmed—but a simple acknowledgment would have gone a long way. Being ignored for that long was incredibly frustrating, especially when I’ve always had great service here in the past.

What really pushed me over the edge was seeing the employee who was cleaning the freezer use her bare hands to pick up fallen topping scraps off the counter and put them back into the serving containers. That is extremely unsanitary and honestly gross. Gloves should be worn at all times when handling food, especially toppings that go directly into customer bowls.

I never thought I’d say this about a place I’ve supported for so long, but this experience made me feel like I need to take a break from coming here. I hope this feedback is taken seriously because I truly want to continue supporting Sovereign—but not if the standards and customer service...

Finally a poke place near Weston! Is what I said before seeing they had also other incredible items on their menu. First the place: it belongs to Wynwood, in a good way! They have chalk walls and an open inviting space with friendly music. Random fact, the bathroom is huge and super clean which always says a lot about the cleanliness of a restaurant overall.

Now the good stuff, the food. I tried their noodles first which were really good. I honestly never tend to order this because I am usually disappointed but this was not the case here. The fresh vegetables taste incredible and to top it off you get a savory mushroom that really brings life to the plate. Then I ordered the ribs which were suggested by the owner, and I don't think I had ever eaten ribs that good in my life. They have the perfect crispness and yet blend in perfectly with the tangy sauce without making them soggy. I was thinking about eating one or two and ended up eating the whole platter. And finally, the poke bowl! I'm honestly a fan of Poke and that's why I was so eager to have a location near my house with good quality ingredients. I was not disappointed haha the wide variety of ingredients showcase a list of Asian fusion toppings that you wouldn't normally get at the typical poke place. You still get the basics if that's what you want but you also get a wide range to choose from if you want to mix it up. The sauces are also homemade so you get to mix in different house flavors that you can't get anywhere else.

Now, the staff. The highlight of the place! They were all incredibly nice and have a long family history with the restaurant that was previously there which shows in the quality of their cooking. They are also super inviting and always asked for my feedback and made sure I was having a good experience.

PS: their boba tea...

Rather than spending time reading this review, just go there. Seriously, you won’t regret anything you try. You will regret not going!

This was a recent open and found on Yelp, so my husband and I had to give it a try. It was a bit difficult to find, but there is a photo of the front on yelp to help you. They don’t have an official sign up yet, but don’t give up on this hidden gem!

The atmosphere is very fun with music and extremely welcoming. Immediately upon arrival, we were greeted and offered samples of their Passion Fruit, Butterfly Litchi, and Taro Tea. Of course it was refreshing, delicious, and perfectly sweetened, so we had to order them!

Seriously, just order everything because they absolutely put a lot of TLC into every dish made:

The Fuzhou Aromatic Ribs are well seasoned and balanced between sweet, savory sauce with peppers and onions. It’s tender, crispy, juicy, and extremely mouthwatering. It’s really good with rice but I also ate it with my Bao Bun!

Bao Bun has the savory pork mixture with egg inside. The Bun is not dry, very fresh, and compliments the pork just right.

Poke Burrito and Poke Bowl is my favorite. The poke is fresh and well marinated. The toppings, mix-ins, and sauces are generous, plenty of variety, and perfectly prepared. The Burrito wasn’t overwhelming with just rice, fairly priced, and great portion sizes. The house poke sauce and wasabi sauces are two of my favorites!

You can clearly see from the moment you walk in how well maintained this place is. It’s extremely clean and the food/drinks are made with fresh ingredients! Like seriously, stop reading the review and just go there. I highly recommend this restaurant, I’ll...