🏄♂️ Peep The Poke at Island Fin Poke
“Fish is fish, and pineapple is pineapple,” says Mark Setterington, Co-Founder of Island Fin Poke in Winter Springs, “but where we try to stand out is in our sauces.”
This surf-shack concept has been open for 2.5 years, and franchised a year ago. They recently opened a new, flagship location in Lake Nona, offering a casual spot for poke. The chill vibe is captured in the picnic table seating, surf videos playing on television screens, and reclaimed wood on the walls.
The sauces at this spot utilize an in-house recipe, which is soy-based and gluten-free. They focus on quality ingredients instead of cutting corners, making all the difference in Hawaiian-influenced flavor. Mark’s daughter is behind the counter at the restaurant, and prepared several complex bowls.
Peep this poke!
🍱 Spicy Tuna
The toss of tuna, edameme, and corn is coated with their Wicked Wahine sauce. The sweet-heat sensation is a balance of garlic chili paste and coconut palm sugar, topped with the tartness of lime juice. The vegetables are pickled in-house, served alongside seaweed salad, avocado, and wasabi cream sauce for smoothness. The toasted coconut, nori, and seasame seeds add a crunch of texture, pronounced by the spice of Togarashi seasoning and chili oil.
🐟 Ahi Tuna
The freshness of the tuna is complimented by the taste of the OG Veggies, which are jalapeños and sweet onions marinaded in rice wine vinegar. This marinade tones down the spice, but leaves the bold flavor. Texture is delivered with cucumbers, scallions, surimi, mango, roasted garlic, and seasme seeds. The hint of heat from the Togarashi sauce is balanced by honey, in tandem with garlic seasoning. The avocado cream sauce offers a light and refreshing texture.
🍣 Salmon
This bowl features a medley of fresh salmon, edamame, and sweet onion. The citrus-based Ponzu sauce is an amalgamation of lemon, lime, and orange juice, which pairs well with the ocean taste of the salmon. The pineapple mango salsa includes cilantro, jalapeño, salt, and pepper, alongside seaweed salad. It’s topped with scallions, sesame seeds, sweet onions, and masago, adding more texture and taste. The avocado cream sauce is smooth, balancing the flavors in the bowl.
🍦 Dole Whip
This dole whip is a blend of strawberry and vanilla for Breast Cancer month, where a dollar of every cup sold is donated to breast cancer research. This cold dessert is a refreshing ending, delivering a subtle tart taste that satisfies sugar cravings.
Poke is a fresh, healthy meal option that is becoming more approachable in the fast-casual dining space. Island Fin Poke is an efficient spot for satisfying poke cravings without the price tag of a high-end eatery.
“If you’re into poke, come give us a try, and you’ll notice the difference.” assures Mark.
