A friend of mine recently wanted to meet up in Anaheim. We both love poke, a Hawaiian dish made of raw fish marinated in soy sauce and spices, and so we were super excited to try PokiNometry. Nestled in a super hipster neighborhood nearby the Anaheim Packing District, PokiNometry was everything I had hoped it would be. The fish is fresh and the employees are generous with the portions. When ordering, you go down a line of stations. First you pick your bowl – white rice, brown rice, salad, chips or a mix of any of the above. Next you choose some sides – crab-meat, avocado, cucumbers, white onions, or everything above. Then, based on the size bowl you chose, you get scoops of fish. They have mashed tuna, tuna, salmon, yellowtail, albacore, octopus, shrimp, and scallops. Station 4 is all about the sauces, you choose your spicy level or whether you would like spicy mayo or spicy miso sauce. And finally you top off your bowl with masago eggs, green onions, ginger, wasabi, sesame seeds, seaweed or everything above.

For me I got a large bowl with rice and salad and a combination of salmon, yellowtail, octopus, and scallops. My friend got a medium bowl with tuna, salmon, yellowtail, and albacore. I was super excited to dig in as soon as I sat down. They were really generous with the avocado and crab-meat in my bowl and the whole thing really reminded me of eating a Japanese chirashi bowl. I got the original PokiNometry bowl with no spiciness because I know I’m really weak when it comes to spiciness. The saltiness of the soy sauce and the slight acid really complimented the fish. My salad also came with a garlic vinaigrette which wasn’t overwhelming and added a little garlic heat to the dish. My friend had the mild sauce on hers but complained that the spiciness was actually higher than she’d thought and that the spice was burning her lips. Apparently it’s a common complaint because I heard some people at other tables say the same thing. But overall we both really enjoyed our bowls.

Some things to note about this restaurant: the parking outside is a little difficult. There is a parking structure down the street with free two hour parking with validation, this may be your best bet during lunch hour. If you can scout out a seat early, there aren’t too many tables in the restaurant and a large group might have trouble finding seating. And almost everyone who eats there pays with a credit card. PokiNometry has their own electronic system where they swipe your card and you sign on the pad, quick and efficient. I’m sure they have a till somewhere but I didn’t see them using it.

I think PokiNometry is a great place to hang out with a small group of friends. It’s close to fun spots like Disneyland and the Anaheim Packing District. The food is fresh and delicious and pretty affordable in my opinion. Just make sure you plan ahead on the parking and I’m sure you’ll have a great time.

Find them at 184 S Harbor Blvd, Anaheim, CA 92805. Or check out their website: http://www.pokinometry.com/