FREESTYLE POKÉ

Freestyle Poke is a favorite of ours. So when I heard that they were making their debut in catering, I knew I had to be there. Poke for a weekday lunch it was.

In case you haven't dined at Freestyle Poke, yet, let me tell all about them. I discovered Freestyle Poke, in the Summer of last year. I am a huge Sushi fan, so when I heard of this new place in town, serving Poke, I headed there without further ado. Poke consists of raw diced and skinned fish, served in a bowl, with rice, and your choice of toppings and sauces. the fish is Sushi grade, to be more simplistic, and has to be served within a set number of hours of being harvested. Originating in Hawaii, Poke has become quite the rage around the world. So if you thought of Kansas City as being meat and potatoes heavy, you have to try out Freestyle Poke.

Freestyle Poke started their operations with their first location at River market, in Kansas City. They debuted their catering venture with a pop-up at We Work, in downtown Kansas City. They served two of their signature bowls at the venue, which was a great hit. I opted for Nirvana, which consists of Ahi Tuna, Sriracha Ponzu, Cucumber, Mango, Edamame with white rice. For my toppings, I opted for pickled ginger, seaweed salad, toasted coconut, and Togarashi Yuzu Mayo as my sauce. It was a limited version of their original menu.

If you head to their River Market locations, then you have a taste of their full-service Poke menu. First, choose your bowl size - Good(smaller) and best(Larger) bowl size. I always opt for Good, while my husband opts for Best. On their catering menu for We Work, they were serving just one bowl size.

They do have around 6 different Signature Poke bowls on their menu to choose from, or you could go the creative route and make your bowl from scratch, with their Freestyle Bowls. I have tried their signature bowls, as well opted to indulge in my creative side and designed my own bowl. I usually opt for half and a half for my proteins - Ahi Tuna and Spicy Tuna, over white Sushi rice, and take the spicy route where my marinade, toppings, and sauces are concerned.

What I love about the staff at Freestyle Poke, is that how helpful they are in helping the indecisive me, in creating my bowl. Their suggestions are spot on when you mention what you are looking for.  I was over Sriracha, and their suggestions helped me create a poke bowl, which was spicy and flavorful. I am a Togarashi Yuzu Mayo fan for life now.

Freestyle Poke is an organization who believes in sustainable fishing and quality products. Their fish comes in from sustainable fish farms, in Chile and a few other places, which are flown in and served fresh. Never frozen. When you have quality ingredients and a great product, you will have loyal followers. Freestyle Poke is expanding operations into Overland Park, later this year and there will even be a Food Truck.

Freestyle Poke speaks of Poke with a Purpose and they really live by their ethos. You cannot miss the strong culture and warmth which binds the Freestyle Poke team. If I was ever joining the food industry, I would surely try my luck at Freestyle Poke. It did sound like a cool place to work in. It is not every day that I hear of a workplace which cares so much for the overall well-being of its workers/team.

Thank you TKG Agency for the invite. Always a pleasure working together.