Poke Village: East Village, Manhattan, NY, NY USA
We stopped here for a friend’s birthday unexpectedly. Truth be told, we had actually already surprised my friend and randomly picked this spot because it was newly opened and near the hospital that he was working at. A few “PRO” things to note about the place itself:
– not small by any means
– definitely more seating than I’ve seen at majority of the establishments
– clean
– fast service, especially given the type of food – it does
Make-your-own Poke Bowl
PROS
– good combination and allows user selectivity – if you don’t know your flavors, you can’t blame someone for making something that doesn’t taste good. And for the record for those of you who want something super flavorful, sashimi fish is supposed to be bland although the poke in Hawaii that I had recently was way too salty and over seasoned.
– good amount of variety that the users can choose from
– good selection of sauces, not just one or two
CONS
– a bit light on the amount of fish that was given in regards to the rest of the toppings
Chicken wings: the manager was really extraordinarily nice. When she found out it was my friend’s birthday after I paid for his poke bowl, she brought out two orders of wings for us to try on the house! Truth be told, these wings are pretty good and I would definitely order them again.
Sweet Teriyaki Wings
PROS
– good flavor, not overly sweet
– very crispy, not soggy
– came out hot and not oily
CONS
– none
Spicy Korean Wings
PROS
– got some heat but not too spicy where you can’t eat them
– wings had plenty of meat on them
– well seasoned: not too salty
CONS
– none really
Pork Belly Bun: I have this thing for trying a pork belly bun if I see it. I always want to compare the different ones across the city since there are a number of Asian establishments just around the corner that also serve pork belly buns.
PROS
– very generous with the cut of meat
– well seasoned
– good standard flavors
CONS
– not your standard typical Taiwanese style but close
– the pork cut could have been cooked a little longer to be slightly more tender
All in all, a quick summary:
- poke: ***.5 (3.5 stars)
- honey teriyaki wings: ***.75 (3.75 stars)
- spicy Korean wings: ***.65 (3.65 stars)
- pork belly bun: ***.65 (3.65 stars)
I would definitely come here again. It’s not Hawaii but it is a nice fresh break from the majority of the greasiness and heaviness that is New York City. You can find them next to the KFC off of 1st and E. 14th street. It’s a small and underneath the scaffolding but definitely check it out!
R/g
