FORKS & CORKS: Christine Van Tuyl Reviews Poke 1-2-3

As soon as he took a bite he knew it was something special. Kevin Shaeffer, owner of Poke 1-2-3, first tasted poke at a summer training session in Hawaii, when he was a Midshipman with the U.S. Naval Academy.

“It was my first time in that beautiful state, and the local poke made a huge culinary impression on me,” says Shaeffer. “It was an adventure to pick out new poke styles and enjoy them on the beach during our ‘liberty’ time.”

Decades later in 2017, Shaeffer joined forces with another Coronado local, Neil Capin Jr., to open up the very first Poke 1-2-3 in Imperial Beach. Another location at Liberty Station in Point Loma soon followed. The verdict? Great success! The eateries found appreciation and love from seasoned poke eaters and newbies alike.

“We knew early on in IB and Liberty Station that we’d honed in on a unique and in-demand dining choice in those areas,” says Shaeffer. “Being local, we felt a fresh, fast and healthy dining option was strongly needed. Genuine poke lovers, those who had experience with poke in Hawaii, complimented us on our creations.”

The concept: an upscale, fast casual restaurant specializing in traditional Hawaiian-style craft poke bowls, as well as innovative poke “norritos” (large nori wraps) and fresh hand wraps, called “waves.” New to the menu: 1-2-3 sushi rolls in six different styles.

In case you were wondering, traditionally speaking, poke is cubes of raw tuna marinated in soy sauce and sesame oil, often served with fresh add-ins, over rice or leafy greens. These days poke is a ubiquitous term that can mean anything cubed. This means, at Poke 1-2-3, you can order your poke bowl with vegan, locally-made tofu or with free-range chicken if fish isn’t your thing.

Which is all part of the idea. The eatery’s goal is to ensure that anyone, regardless of diet, can indulge in all the savory delights of poke.

“Offering a creative, high-end option for non-seafood lovers and vegetarians/vegans was an important goal of our company,” says Shaeffer.

Like your fish on the fly? A standout feature of the menu is that all items are highly mobile. Grab your container and take it to the park, to your home office or nosh at the beach.

(Previous Page) The poke bowls are made to order with your choice of base and protein. With options like ahi tuna, spicy tuna, salmon, tofu, chicken, shrimp and octopus, there's something for everyone.

The sushi rolls are new to the menu and are fresh and tasty. The prices are just as enticing...each roll is priced at under $10.

Poke 1-2-3 does a stellar job of making it fast and easy to order your meal. They have a simple 1-2-3 step ordering process.

First off, we ordered a custom craft poke bowl: step 1, two scoops of protein, we selected salmon and ahi tuna over a base of white rice. Step 2, sides and sauces, we added avocado, cucumber, sweet onion and seaweed salad, fire shoyu and spicy mayo. Step 3, toppings, we selected crispy onions, edamame, seaweed, cilantro, ginger, wasabi and a drizzle of spicy mayo and eel sauce.

Diving in with two pairs of chopsticks, my husband and I made quick work out of the dense bowl, filled to the brim with goodness. The fish tasted fresh and delicious, and we loved the freedom to choose exactly which protein, base, toppings and sauces we wanted. (I noted that we could order a base of salad greens if we wanted to be more carb-conscious, but the rice felt decadent and hearty.) For the price of $11.99, how could this go wrong?

And, there’s a reason why that fish tastes so good.

“We strive to source all of our fish from local Southern California and San Diego wholesalers,” says Shaeffer. “Our commitment to use only the best seafood extends to our other vegetarian/vegan offerings, and our house-made sauces, which are also vegan.”

Next, we ordered the norrito, which is basically the sushi lover’s version of a burrito. (Given that my two favorite foods of all time are sushi and burritos, as you can imagine, this one gets high marks from me.) The norrito was large, fresh and flavorful and just begged to be devoured. Wrapped in a seaweed shell and bursting with poke and lots of love (edamame, seaweed salad, veggie mix, spicy mayo, cilantro and cucumber) the norrito felt one part naughty and several parts nice. The perfect choice for a colossal craving and healthy satisfaction.

And of course, we had to try the new item on the menu…the sushi rolls! We ordered the Albacore Roll with 1-2-3 style albacore, avocado, cucumber, crunchy onions and citrus ponzu drizzle. Again, the fresh, made-to-order awesomeness set our taste buds on fire. We will definitely order this again.

To drink, my husband indulged in the Mosaic Hazy IPA from Projector Brewery, which happens to be San Diego’s first organic beer company. A self-professed beer snob, he sipped down every last drop, refreshed and excited about his new discovery. I stuck my giant straw into a Boba Tea, a healthy and gratifying endeavor, especially when you consider the satisfaction of slurping up a juicy tapioca ball.

And then, there’s dessert. Once again, Poke 1-2-3 doesn’t fail to please. The iconic pineapple Dole Whip, reminiscent of Jungle Cruise rides at Disneyland, is perhaps one of the tastiest (and dairyfree) desserts known to man. We also ordered up the Mochi ice creams in a three flavor mix. Again, amazing. If I wasn’t in the mood for a full meal, I would show up just for the Dole Whip, the Mochi and the Boba.

Luring in the Locals

Poke 1-2-3 knows that folks love a good deal so the eatery makes it easy for locals to indulge in craft poke creations. For example, every Monday is “Kids Eat Free.” Customers who order with their children receive a free kids bowl with purchase of any adult bowl, norrito, or waves. The kids bowls are custom-made to order with premium seafood, sesame chicken and healthy toppings.

“As parents, we know how time-strapped and difficult it can be to get fast, healthy and valuepriced meals for the family,” says Shaeffer.

On “Wave Wednesdays,” customers get a great deal on the eatery’s exclusive hand roll poke Wave. Three nori hand wraps come with each order. Customers can choose between the 1-2-3 style Ahi tuna, Cali style and Spicy style tuna. You can make them vegan with organic tofu and vegan-friendly sauces, or get crazy and add the Cheetos Flavor Blast Coatings. (Who knew?)

Shaeffer says that COVID has certainly impacted their business, but Poke 1-2-3 is still dedicated to making things fresh, delicious and fun for Coronado locals.

“It’s definitely been a challenge during the pandemic, but we’ve been operating safely with an ‘attitude of gratitude’ for our amazing staff and our customers,” says Shaeffer. “Local community support has been incredible.”

With a fresh and easy concept and a lot of love to locals, Poke 1-2-3 is sure to reel in lots of business in 2021. Looking forward to stopping in for my norrito and boba tea!

• Christine Van Tuyl is a freelance writer who lives in Coronado with her husband and two children.

The Noritto (an island-style burrito) is filled to the brim with fresh poke and delicious toppings like avocado, cucumber, edamame, and more.