We tried a fast-casual restaurant that sells Chipotle-style food with raw fish

• Kate Taylor
 
•  

• 1h

Kate Taylor

Is it possible for a new fast-casual concept to become the Chipotle of Hawaiian food — complete with raw fish?

Wisefish Poké, which opened this week in New York City, hopes to find out. New York Magazine’s Grub Street said the concept was “like the Hawaiian Chipotle,” with build-your-bowl style ordering at a counter. However, instead of chicken or carnitas, customers choose from raw ahi tuna, salmon, or tofu to craft their individualized bowl of poké.  

Poké is a Hawaiian specialty, traditionally made with chunks of tuna marinated in soy and sesame. It’s already popular in parts of California, where Sweetfin hopes to build its own fast-casual poké empire.  

However, poké is still a foreign concept to most of the US. So, Business Insider decided to send two people who have never tried poké to check out Wisefish.

The restaurant is located in Chelsea, marked by a sign with a trendy logo.

Kate Taylor

We were immediately impressed by the atmosphere of the tiny shop. Most of the seating was restricted to a communal table, but everything had a modern and thoughtful feel.

Kate Taylor

There are lots of sweet little details, like the plant in this Sriracha nook.

Kate Taylor

There's even a great choking first aid poster!

Kate Taylor

The ordering process is clearly Chipotle inspired, with both house favorites and build-your-own bowl options.

Kate Taylor

House favorites include 'West Swell' with ahi tuna, 'Heat Wave' with salmon, and 'The Chelsea' with tofu.

Kate Taylor

If you've ever ordered at Chipotle, you can figure out Wisefish pretty easily — it's just a matter of swapping ingredients like hijiki with salsa. And, instead of paying for guac, avocado costs an extra $1.50.

Kate Taylor

Mmm, raw ahi tuna and salmon.

Kate Taylor

We snagged a menu on the way out.

Kate Taylor

The menu features a little message from founders Drew Crane and Bryan Cowan, saying the restaurant is "the dream of two friends, whose mutual love of poké gave life to a vision for an eatery dedicated to this healthy, simple, cuisine."

Kate Taylor

We ordered one build-your-own regular bowl with a base of zucchini noodles and ahi tuna, adding on avocado and various free toppings. While the combo was tasty, there just wasn't enough food in the dish, despite the $13.50 price tag. A snack was necessary less than one hour after finishing the meal.

Kate Taylor

When it came to satisfaction, house favorite 'The Zissou' was a bit better. The sweet onions, salmon, tobiko, brown rice, and spicy mayo were a great, fresh mix, especially if you're someone who likes inauthentic sushi covered in spicy mayo. However, the ratio of rice to the rest of the toppings was a bit off. More rice meant the dish may have been more filling, but it also left the impression that the poké was relying on filler.

Kate Taylor

Despite these issues, we would consider going back to Wisefish. Armed with what we know now — you need to take advantage of the free mix-ins and avoid the brownish and over-priced avocado — we could probably build a tasty, satisfying meal, especially if we upgrade to a large for $13.95. Still, spending that much money on a takeout lunch is out of the question. Coming back to the cute location for a dinner, however, is a pretty appealing option.

Kate Taylor

Wisefish Poké is probably never going to become as big as Chipotle — and that's okay. If the new restaurant beefs up its serving sizes and recalibrates ingredient ratios, it has the potential to introduce a new kind of cuisine to New Yorkers who otherwise may have never tried poké.

Kate Taylor