Poke O in Mockingbird Station

What’s better than getting invited to a fun, tasty party as a food influencer? Almost nothing, except for the obvious things like babies, puppies, winning the lottery, someone bringing you a cup of morning coffee in bed, traveling, etc. So I was thrilled when I was invited to attend the VIP Pre-Grand Opening celebration at the new Poke O in Mockingbird Station.

The stars of the party, of course, were samples of three of Poke O’s five signature poke bowls (the Ponzu Tuna, Tex Mex Shrimp and Mediterranean Salmon). Each was my favorite … until I sampled the next one.

The flavor combos and freshness lured me back for lunch on a recent weekend when I was in the Mockingbird Station area to see a movie at the Angelika, which is conveniently located just steps away next door. It was hard for me to decide between the Ponzu Tuna and the Tex Mex Shrimp, but I opted for the Ponzu Tuna on this trip. It’s created with fresh tuna, brown rice, cucumbers, beets, shredded carrots, ginger, edamame, shaved almonds, crunchy garlic and spicy Ponzu sauce (plus optional white and black sesame seeds).

You can also create your own bowl, which I would be tempted to do had I not tried some of their signature bowls. When you create your own, you can choose your protein (tuna, salmon, spicy tuna, yellow tail, shrimp and tofu) + your base (white rice, brown rice, mixed greens, couscous or a half/half mixture of any of these) + your sauce + a wide range of fresh toppings. With the mixed greens as a base, you could eat gluten-free (or friendly – you’d have to ask about cross contamination precautions if you have celiac disease); with the tofu as your protein, you could easily eat vegetarian or vegan here.

A fun bonus at this new gem — the owners and staff are a delight, and they will be exhibiting work from local artists each month in the space.

Whether you’re a long-time poke fan or have never tried it, this place is definitely worth checking out. And when the weather gets nicer, you may want to enjoy some wine or sake on their comfy patio furniture. In the meantime, free covered parking is just steps away (a bonus during the hot Texas summers)!