Ahipoki Bowl: Build-Your-Own Poke Restaurant Opens in Scottsdale Today — Here's A Look Inside

Last month we told you about Ahipoki Bowl, the California-based Hawaiian poke restaurant that planned to open a second location here in the Valley. If you haven't been able to get the vision of fresh tuna and salmon out of your mind ever since, then we have good news. 

As of today, Friday, April 1, Ahipoki Bowl is open to the public at 2805 North Scottsdale Road, on the southeast corner of Scottsdale and Thomas roads. We stopped by the fast-casual restaurant yesterday to get a look inside and check out the menu.

The concept for the build-your-own eatery is pretty simple — think Chipotle, except instead of making a burrito you create your own combination of fish, sauce, toppings, and rice. To start, diners have the option of either a white rice, brown rice, or organic salad base, as well as the choice to choose half rice and half salad. 

From there, you can opt for either a small bowl ($8.95), which include two scoops of fish, or a large bowl ($10.75), which includes three scoops. Fish and seafood options include tuna, spicy tuna, salmon, albacore, shrimp, yellowtail, octopus, and scallop. And for those indecisive diners our there, each scoop can be a different selection of fish.
Four house sauces come next — either house sauce, house spicy, creamy spicy, or sweet citrus — followed by toppings, which are included in the price of the bowl. Options include ginger, masago, jicama, wasabi, cucumber, crab meat, daikon sprouts, green onion, and seaweed salad; you can choose which toppings you want or go all in and just say, "everything." Avocado comes at an extra fee, but your base price includes a few finishing toppings such as sesame seeds, crispy onions (sounds weird, but it actually worked well in our bowl), chili flakes, and roasted seaweed.
Unlike many build-your-own restaurants, Ahipoki Bowl will not offer any pre-set bowl options. 

The restaurant owners plan to open more locations around the state, including between three to five locations around metro Phoenix. Ahipoki Bowl also has additional locations in the works around southern California. The original location opened in December 2015 in Temple City, California. 

Ahipoki Bowl in Scottsdale will be open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. seven days a week. For more information, visit the Ahipoki Bowl website.