I don't like poke but I came to a place that specializes in poke for lunch yesterday. You may be wondering why. Well, I came with a couple of co-workers and they like poke. Besides, Pa'ina has more than just poke.
I ordered fried saimin with bulgogi beef. It also came with a side of rice and a side of kimchi. I enjoyed it all. Fried noodles are always good. The beef was ultra tender. The rice was simply white rice but mixed with the kimchi was very good. Kimchi has a strong enough flavor that it makes an impact on even the plain white rice. It all made for a delicious lunch.
I got a little more bold and adventerous when I tried a bite of the tako poke my co-worker ordered. It was my first taste of octopus. Sure, I've had similar creatures like squid (fried calimari) and cuddle fish (freeze dried and dressed with chili sauce). But this was a full on tentacle with suction cups. Thats has always scared me a bit. But I tried it. It was chewy and didn't really taste like much. It was not as bad as I expected but I would not order for myself in the future. Just not my thing.
I wish I had ordered a dessert yesterday to round out my meal. The custard pastries looked so good. I guess I just have to go back again. There are some other non-poke plates aside from the saimin I got. They have options at Pa'ina.