What good fortune for yours truly, who happens to be a big poke lover. I had just tried out a new place in Alcoa a few weeks ago, and last week, I got to visit another new area poke venture — Island Fin Poke Co., which recently opened its doors for business in Turkey Creek. The Grub Spouse and I stopped in for dinner.
Like most restaurants of its ilk, Island Fin offers several signature bowls, each offering a different combination of ingredients designed to mesh well with the ol’ taste buds. Varieties include ahi tuna, Korean barbecue chicken, salmon and spicy tuna. All bowls are $14.
The Spouse ordered the chicken bowl, which calls for a base of white rice topped with chicken, edamame, corn, Wicked Wahine sauce, pineapple, scallions, Ono Ono sauce and wonton strips.
I decided to buck the system and build my own bowl (although at other poke establishments, I lean heavily into their signature spicy-tuna creations). In this case, I started with brown rice instead of white rice or a spring mix. Next, I chose salmon and spicy tuna as my proteins. Other options include Korean barbecue chicken, tofu, shrimp, SPAM and octopus, to mention several.
Then I had to decide on mix-ins (vegetables). I went with edamame and sweet onion over the likes of corn (not in a poke bowl, thank you), jalapeños and Island Fin’s OG Veggies (sweet onions and jalapeños marinated for 24 hours in Aloha Shoyu, sesame oil, olive oil and rice vinegar).
For my marinating sauces, I went with Island Fin Fire (which includes pineapple, habañero peppers and cilantro, among other ingredients) and ponzu, a gluten-free soy sauce mixed with fresh citrus juices. Five different marinating sauces are available in total.
Next up was another round of toppings (fruits and veggies). I picked cucumber, scallions and seaweed over pineapple, mango, pickled ginger, pickled vegetables and others. Premium toppings such as avocado, kimchi, masago and surimi are available for an upcharge.
Finishing sauces include Jamaican cream, togarashi and Ono Ono. I passed on those in favor of the avocado cream and the wasabi cream. Finally, I had my pick of 12 dry toppings such as wonton strips, wasabi peas, toasted coconut, shredded nori and chili flakes. I kept things simple with some tempura crisps.
Along the way, the staff did an excellent job of explaining the ingredients in all the mixtures and sauces we inquired about. They were very friendly and helpful in general, although some of their tutorials were unnecessary for seasoned poke fans like ourselves. By the time we finished ordering, our bowls were pretty much ready for us to take to a table. We claimed a spot in the main dining room, areas of which are enhanced by tropical-island theming.
I enjoyed my bowl and my sampling of The Spouse’s bowl quite a bit. I went a little off script on this outing by ordering the wasabi cream sauce, which gave my bowl a fun extra kick of spiciness. It’s always interesting to me, though, that even when I order very similar bowls at my favorite poke places, each still has a unique personality and flavors. The same was true of the bowls we ordered at Island Fin. Mine, for example, was familiar yet different enough to give me a fresh taste-and-texture experience.
We ended our meal with free samples of their Dole pineapple-orange soft serve, which was tasty and refreshing.
If you’re already a poke lover, I recommend giving Island Fin Poke Co. a visit and seeing how it stacks up to the local competition. If you’ve never had poke, this Turkey Creek eatery is as good a place as any to start. If nothing else, it offers many ingredient and topping options my other favorite Knoxville poke places don’t. And their island vibes make it a cool place to try some poke, mon!
Island Fin Poke Co.
Food: 4
Service: 4
Atmosphere: 3.75
Overall: 4
Address: 11615 Parkside Drive
Phone: 865-351-0902
No alcohol service
Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Fridays through Tuesdays; 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesdays
This new poke restaurant in Turkey Creek offers a wide variety of Hawaiian-style bowls and conscientious counter service.