Admittedly, when the the poke and sushi burrito craze hit Toronto, I was part of the crowd that believed these two things were just overpriced versions of sushi---why get a poke bowl when I could grab chirashi or hoedapbap; why sushi burrito when I could get a dragon roll combo? Even after begrudgingly trying a couple of sushi burrito and poke spots that were popping around the neighbourhood I still had my reservations. Slowly I began to recognize that they were sufficiently distinct from the sushi culture and despite eating similar or even the ingredients, the format allows for varying levels of different ingredients in each bite as well as a larger combination of unique/unexpected ingredients, making it fun and engaging in a way.
I tried North Poke when I was on lunch break and unable to locate a sushi joint within walking distance. While I can't speak for authenticity, North Poke's offerings stand apart from its peers in the following ways: their fish is very fresh; the marinades and sauces used don't overwhelm the fish but instead highlight their freshness; the former two points are further reinforced by their choice in composition of other ingredients, which also happen to set it quite distinctly apart from those of the sushi genre. Also, I'm a huge sucker for spam musubi. Their Shack special and Spicy Molokai are my favourite and they are going to be a part of my weekly Ritual when the craving hits. Highly recommended.