Poké originated in Hawaii, and the definition is “to cut or slice.” Traditional ingredients typically comprise of tuna and octopus. There are many adaptations to this, however, and you’ll also find yellowfin tuna and other elements. Each restaurant’s offerings will vary from location.

One of my favorite spots to get Poké bowls are from Poke Koma in Alameda, California. You can taste the freshness of the ingredients used here, and if you love seafood, this is an excellent spot to check out. When you come to this spot, you order your bowl in a specific way:

-First, you choose what size dish you’d prefer: Regular (3 proteins) or Large (5 proteins). I like to stick with the option of 3. For me, 5 is a bit overkill, unless you’re starving.
-Second: you choose your base (sushi rice, spring mix, brown rice, crab chips).
-Third: Choose your proteins (Ahi tuna, yellowtail, salmon, shrimp, tofu, octopus, spicy tuna, crawfish, scallops).
-Fourth: Choose your flavor (mild, spicy).
-Fifth: Choose your toppings (Crab Salad, avocado, masago (fish roe), furikake(Japanese dry seasoning), wasabi, jalapenos, seaweed salad, green onions, pickled ginger, fried shallots, wonton strips, corn).
Sixth: Choose your sauce (spicy aioli, creamy wasabi, lemon ginger, jalapeno, teriyaki, roasted garlic, and miso).
You also have the option to choose extra add-in ingredients as well for an additional cost.

I usually order salmon, ahi tuna (my favorite!), and shrimp along with the brown rice base and ALL the fixings. For me, the spicier, the better, so I like to add-in the spicy aioli sauce. I especially love the creamy avocado, crab salad, and freshness of the fish. All the other ingredients are like cherries on a sundae. They complement the bowl terrifically.

REGULAR BOWL WITH ALL THE FIXINGS (SALMON, AHI TUNA, SHRIMP)

CLOSE-UP SHOT OF TUNA AND SALMON

I’ve tried some of the other protein options like the crawfish. This ingredient wasn’t my favorite because it was a bit too salty for my taste buds.

Poke Koma also offer snacks like spam musubi(grilled spam on top of rice and wrapped together), miso soup, and onigiri (Japanese rice ball) and dessert options including Hawaiian shaved ice and different types of beverages. Also, they just started serving alcohol.

The prices at this spot are very reasonable. Two regular bowls will set you back a little over 20 dollars.

Bottom line: if you’ve never tried Poké or love it and have never gone to this eatery, do yourself a favor and check it out if you’re in the area. This spot can get busy on the weekends, and there’s not much room for seating, so get there when they first open for the day if you plan on eating there.

BUSINESS INFORMATION:
Poke Koma
1354 Park Street, b/t Marti Rae Ct & Alameda Avenue
Alameda, CA 94501
Hours of Operation:
Daily: 11:00AM to 9:00PM
Phone# (510) 227-5519
info@poke-koma.com
You can view the restaurant menu here.

To learn more about me, please check out my about me page.

You can also read a previous post from another great restaurant in Alameda here.

The post Poké Bowl Deliciousness in the Bay Area appeared first on Consume and Devour.

I recently tried Cambodian food for the first time at Phnom Penh restaurant in Oakland. The restaurant located off MacArthur Blvd and the area host many cool little stores and eateries. The restaurant initially was located in Oakland’s Chinatown, but now has a permanent fixture in Oakland. They also have another location situated in Alameda; however, I have only been to the Oakland location.

There aren’t a ton of Cambodian restaurants around this area, but this restaurant is a great find as the restaurant is very welcoming, family run, and the food is excellent. You will find some traditional Cambodian dishes here.

On my last visit, I ordered the deep fried calamari and Hamok Trei. Both dishes are equally delicious.

DEEP FRIED CALAMARI:

This dish consisted of deep fried calamari in butter mixed with black pepper and served with a sweet chili sauce (most likely Mae Ploy sauce). This sauce is an excellent accompaniment to fried foods like spring rolls, fried chicken, or other appetizers.

This appetizer is great. The batter is light, and the calamari is tender and not overly chewy. I’ve had calamari at other restaurants where the squid was horrendously non-edible. Once you bite into each piece, they’re very crispy, and the batter doesn’t fall off. (I hate it when that happens to my food!)

HAMOK TREI

Hamok trei (Amok trey) or Cambodian steamed fish is considered the national dish of Cambodia.

This dish is very flavorful and includes sliced fish cooked with coconut juice, lemongrass, then wrapped and steamed. The meal I had included catfish, but I believe different types of fish can be incorporated here.

The fish comes in a little pot that looks similar to a small clay pot used to retain the heat of the food. When you dig into this, the top layer has a nice “crust,” and when you dig even further, you find flaky and tender fish with a soup-like base and vegetables (I don’t recall what type of veggies, but they were delicious as well).

The dish has a robust flavor but is not overwhelming, and all the flavors incorporate richly. It’s filling, satisfying, and accompanied with rice makes for a very comforting dish.

The restaurant has many other great dishes including curries, seafood, and grilled meats, and vegetarian options. I’ve tried roasted pork or (Sach Chhrouk Ann Kreun) on a previous occasion, and the pork was outstanding. The meat has a great char-grilled flavor and is exceptionally tender and mouthwatering. The meat had the right amount of fat without going overboard.

Prices for each dish are very reasonable, and service is always friendly and welcoming. If you’re in the area and craving a cuisine you’ve never tried before, check this place out, you won’t regret it.

BUSINESS INFORMATION: (Two Locations)

Phnom Penh Restaurant

Laurel Business District

3912 MacArthur Boulevard Oakland, CA 94619

AND

Webster Business District

1514 Webster Street Alameda, CA 94501

To learn more about me, you can go here.

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It’s said the sandwich is attributed to John Montagu, the 4^th Earl of Sandwich and believed he would ask his servants to bring him two slices of bread and some meat to put in-between while he was gambling. This guy is my absolute idol!!

We regularly use Yelp and sometimes Eater SF, to source out great places to eat. On one day, the boyfriend and I had a hankering for some good sandwiches. Lo and behold, the power of the internet! Poof, found a great sandwich spot to try.

Domenico’s Italian Deli is located in Alameda which is a wonderful little beach town in the San Francisco Bay Area. My love for Italian deli sandwiches have now been satisfied! I’ve been there exactly two times now and the sandwiches really rank in my top 5. (and I’ve eaten tons and tons of sandwiches in my lifetime). If you take a look at their website, it says they’ve been open for over 50 years!

The first time I came here, I ordered the pastrami sandwich on a wheat roll. Oh my god, it was really tasty! The pastrami wasn’t too salty (which I find can happen with a lot of other places), and the condiments meshed together well, to create great, fresh tasting sandwiches.

In my most recent experience at Domenico’s, the boyfriend and I ordered the Genoa Salami and Italian Combo sandwiches. We decided to eat half and half of each sandwich to get a taste of each other’s pick.

GENOA SALAMI SANDWICH:

This sandwich included: Dry salami with a flavor of wine on a sweet roll with Swiss cheese and all the fixings. The bread roll was fluffy and it had a bit of sweet. Just look at all the salami and oozing of mayo and mustard in the sandwich! The salami was delicious and not overly salty. You could really taste the hint of wine in the salami, which contributes to a wonderful flavor.

I’d say this sandwich would be my preference to the Italian Combo. The Genoa salami was the standout here. I just really loved the robust flavor of the meat and it created a wonderful explosion of flavor in my mouth.

ITALIAN COMBO:

The Italian combo sandwich included Molinari dry salami, ham, mortadella, cooked salami, bologna with Swiss cheese and all the fixings on a wheat roll. The wheat roll in this sandwich isn’t as fluffy or tasty as the sweet roll. The meats worked well together and didn’t overpower one or the other.

If you want very fresh and deliciously mouthwatering sandwiches, check out Domenico’s Italian Deli in Alameda, California. The service here is friendly and the town of Alameda is quaint and cute.

Domenico’s is open Monday-Friday (excluding Sunday) from 11:00AM-5:00PM.

Address: 1407 Webster St.

Alameda, CA 94501 (Between Taylor and Central Avenue)

To learn more about me, you can go here.

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Yojimbo is a Japanese restaurant located in a hidden spot. If you walk down the sidewalk and you’re not paying attention, you’ll miss where the restaurant is. When you walk inside the restaurant, you’re always warmly greeted and service is friendly and efficient.

PORK RAMEN

The boyfriend and I opted for the pork ramen with a miso +spicy soup base. The bowl consists of ramen, egg, assorted veggies, and a garnish of seaweed. The standout of the dish would have to be the pork (extremely flavorful, tender, and juicy). When they bring the bowl to you, you’re also astounded by how huge it is! This can feed two people without a doubt. For me, ramen bowls always tend to be a tad bit too salty, but I did like the overall flavor of this and whenever you add a soft-boiled and ooey-gooey egg, I’m sold.

They have a couple of other soup bases you can choose from and if you’re not into spicy foods, you can omit this option.

SUSHI COMBO A

We also got this sushi combo which includes California rolls, choice of Tekka Maki (tuna sushi roll). You can also opt for salmon. Also included are some assorted pieces of Nigiri (thin slices of raw fish pressed over vinegary rice).

The sushi here is fresh and I would highly recommend coming here for the many different options included in the menu. The spider rolls (deep-fried soft shell crab, with avocado and cucumber are really good).

Another recommendation would also be the bento boxes. The teriyaki bento box is humungous! This can literally feed 3-4 people. It’s super tasty and really filling.

In my opinion, I wouldn’t recommend the Tonkatsu dishes. For some reason, this lacks some flavor and is just blah.

Overall, if you’re looking for unassuming Japanese cuisine, check this place out if you’re in the East Bay or Alameda area.

Yojimbo is open Monday-Saturday from 11:00AM-9:00PM and closed on Sundays.

YOJIMBO

1221 PARK ST.

ALAMEDA, CA 94501

For more information about me, you can go here.

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I absolutely love Asian food and pork (of course, I’m Chinese).

I’ve expanded my eating repertoire to include many different types of Asian fare and it’s great to find such a multitude of dishes to please any palate.

I enjoy exploring new restaurants with my other half. We decided to check this place out as we were just in the area after playing a game of tennis.

I know, I know. You’re thinking she’s going to eat this after playing tennis??!! Well, I did and it was all delicious!

Fried Rice with Chinese Sausage and Roast Pork

This dish incorporates one of my favorite things: pork. If there’s pork in it, I’m totally there. This is totally “get in my belly Asian food” : )

I grew up eating both Chinese sausage and roast pork and they really are my two favorite dishes to eat (albeit not too healthy). Regardless, both delicious and when you incorporate them into a fried rice dish, well yum!

This fried rice dish incorporates both pork styles along with egg, green onions, and tomatoes topped with cilantro and cucumber.

Fresh Spring Rolls

We had this along with our main dishes and they were very delicious to say the least! Mint, cucumber, carrot, basil, vermicelli noodle, and cilantro served with the requisite peanut sauce and another sweet and spicy sauce.

Rolls were very fresh and the flavors really accompanied each other well.

The service here was fairly marginal. We were quick to be seated upon arrival and we received our food pretty quickly. However, it took a little longer to get drinks refreshed and our bill.

All in all a good experience here and I would return to try some of the different menu items.

You can learn more about me by clicking here.

Business: Thai Noodle House of Alameda

Address: 1700 Park Street, Ste 100, Alameda, CA 94501

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