Editor’s Note: We connected with Marc Van Dam to learn more about Island Fin Poke located in Nokomis at 997 N. Tamiami Trail. Visit 11am to 9pm every day of the week. Order online and learn more at IslandFinPoke.com. The word poke (pronounced POH-key) means to slice or cut in Hawaiian.
Marc, please introduce Island Fin Poke. Inspired by the Hawaiian culture and cuisine, a committed group of highly energetic folk, under direction from CEO Mark Setterington launched Island Fin Poke in 2017 after developing a set of delicious poke bowl recipes with truly fresh real food ingredients, marinades, sauces and toppings. The company is expanding rapidly in Florida and other states. My wife Kelly and I are excited to bring fresh and REAL FOOD to our community and to support everyone locally wanting to eat healthier in Venice/Nokomis and the larger region.
What can you share about your bowls? Our bowls feature Ahi Tuna, Chicken, Korean BBQ Chicken, Salmon, and Spicy Tuna., tofu, spam, shrimp ceviche and octopus. We build custom bowls to your liking and also have 5 finely crafted preset bowls. Here are the 6 steps in creating your poke bowl:
Step 1 is picking a base of either brown rice, spring mix or white rice (or a combination of any of the 3).
Step 2 is picking your protein(s) from among ahi tuna, chicken, Korean BBC chicken, octopus, salmon, shrimp, spam, spicy tuna, and tofu.
Step 3 is picking your mix-in(s) from among corn, edamame, jalapenos, sweet onions, and OG veggies (a mix of sweet onions and jalapenos marinated in aloha shoyu, sesame oil, olive oil and rice vinegar for 24 hours).
Step 4 is picking your sauce(s) which includes Island Fin Fire, OG Sauce, Ponzu, Shoyu (gluten-free soy sauce), and Wicked Wahine.
Step 5 is your topping(s) which include pineapple, mango, pineapple mango salsa, cucumber, pickled ginger, pickled veggies, scallions, seaweed, and spicy pickled veggies.
Step 6 is picking your premium topping(s) which includes avocado, kimchi, masago, and surimi. We also have a very iunqiue beverage selection, as we carry the Tractor brand which is 100 percent organic and non-GMO. We also carry locally brewed Kombucha and other popular beverages. We are also delighted to serve our tasty Dole soft serve.
It all sounds quite healthy. It is and we prepare fresh ingredients daily and use locally sourced products as much as possible. We don’t rush our customers into making their choices either and especially first time visitors that may have questions about some of the items. Here’s the breakdown on the range of calories: Bases are 10-290, proteins are 20-110, the mix-ins are 5-40, the sauces are 10-50, the toppings are 5-45, and the premium toppings are 20-40. Being friendly and helpful is part of our Ohana spirit. Ohana means family in Hawaiian and that includes traditional family as well as the loved ones we choose.
