Second time and I must say it was definitely an improvement over the first time I was here, which was literally the second week of its opening so of course there would be some edges that needed smoothing. Now if you've never been to a Poke joint it's essentially like a Quiznos or a Subway except with sushi-like ingredients with rice being your bread. I do recommend making the choice of one of their pre-made/menu Poke items instead of making your own the first time around. Like everyone else it seems, I personally like their Po-Ke Special bowl. Food is great, they keep it cool and there is a staff member right at the beginning of the ordering line washing dishes so you can see they keep cleanliness very important. It's seafood after all. The service was polite and helpful and much quicker than the first couple weeks. My girlfriend got one of the Sushi Burritos and although delicious, it regrettably fell victim to a non-experienced wrap artist and fell apart. So she ended up eating it like one of the bowls after all. I find that Po-ke is moderately priced. If you're-a cravin' you're gonna drop your dime here. It's seafood in Calgary after all so don't expect value meal prices. Compared to my first visit I was happy to see they upped the rice serving, and maybe I was hungry but dare I say the protein game upped as well? Po-ke can respond on that one if they like but even if they didn't, the gratuitous serving of rice was more than enough to keep me happy. And definitely coming back!
Only cons were the staff still seems a bit inexperienced; sushi burrito fiasco didn't instill confidence in the product(s) being sold or suggested. Wish there was more condiments, only seemed to be two sriracha and two bottles of soy sauce when I was there. Maybe they ran out? Should leave some of the finishers in shaker cups around the shop to allow customers to try them if they didn't get the opportunity the first time. Suggestions for DIY bowls/wraps would be helpful along the process (especially for those customers that hold up the line for everyone else). Get the staff more involved and help describe the product's tastes and textures to help customers make decisions.
Besides that, I hope Po-ke keeps up the good work and I can't wait to see what's in store for the future. Perhaps seasonal specialty menu items? Uni Po-ke anyone? #Yum