One can smell the delicious aroma of freshly cut veggies, steamed rice and lean meats when entering Poké-Bar — Hillsborough Street’s recently opened poké restaurant. With origins in Hawaii, poké bowls have become a popular, healthy meal option for those looking for a dose of Hawaiian-inspired cuisine. Now, students can get on board with all poké has to offer.

Poké bowls are essentially fresh salads with raw fish, and can feature everything from cucumber to sesame seeds to salmon. Mina Elraheb, Poké Bar’s manager, spoke on the restaurant’s convenient location.

“We chose the Hillsborough Street to open this outlet of the Poké Bar mainly because it is a very busy street, plus because of the proximity of the location to NC State,” Elraheb said. “But a busy street comes with its set of problems. We don’t have a special parking. Mostly people try parking in the back street. If it’s night time, the parking of Wells Fargo can also be used.”

As it can be difficult to find healthy, fresh meal options as a college students, Poké Bar offers students a place to consume guilt-free ingredients that are also tasty in nature. Elraheb said that the response to the restaurant’s opening has been especially supportive, and they plan on pursuing additional advertising ventures in order to further promote the new poké hot spot.

A single look at the menu reveals the wealth of options available at the restaurant. First, customers choose a “base” for their bowl, with white and brown rice being popular options. Then customers take their pick of protein. Go-to protein offerings include albacore spicy tuna, tofu and salmon. Making each bowl even more unique, however, is the extensive list of toppings — from crispy nuts to pineapple to ginger — that are readily available.

“Making a custom meal is not as easy as it seems,” Elraheb said. “Only after several attempts does one get a hang of what they like. Not only the type but also the quantity of a spice can change the taste of meal radically. We have a lot of options for the meats but alberque tuna is unique.”

The restaurant also offers eight vegetarian-friendly toppings that can be added to a tofu-based bowl. Part of what makes Poké Bowl shine is the vast array of fresh ingredients available, resulting in uniquely designed bowls catered to one’s individual palette.

While Raleigh is new to the Poké Bowl franchise, the restaurant has additional locations in North Carolina that have proved successful so far. 

“*The strength of Poké Bar is its diverse cuisine with healthy options […] our basic taste is Hawaiian,” Elraheb said. People get a lot of diverse tastes [at Poké Bar] for much less calories as compared to other foods.”

Arsani Balamoun, a graduate student at Washington State University who recently visited Raleigh’s Poké Bar, shared his thoughts on Hillsborough Street’s latest foodie destination.

“The best part of the place, aside from the numerous dishes, is the nature of the staff,” Balamoun said. “They are helpful and cooperative. I would want to see more cooked options in the menu along, with some coffee. However, I would recommend this place to any friend who prefers sushi and raw foods. There is nothing like it in the area.”

Poké Bar also offers NC State students a 10 percent discount on their meals. Elraheb also said that the location is planning events, like trivia, in order to further develop its reputation as a hangout right on Hillsborough Street that also has healthy food at an affordable price.

Overall, Poké Bar is a refreshing addition to Hillsborough Street’s food lineup, and is sure to bring in more visitors as more and more students discover Raleigh’s latest hidden gem.

Editors Note: This quote has been updated to reflect franchise information.