Bernie Whitmore

Speed is something I take very seriously; in many ways, I’m always trying to become faster. One area where it loses its appeal, though, is when dining out. That’s when fast often means cheap, low quality and unhealthy. However, there are times when it would be nice to get a quick meal that you can trust is healthy. Nice if “fast” did not mean deep-fried industrial byproducts. Nice if the servers convincingly respected their “product” as food they might put on their own table.

By design, Atlantic Poké would seem to fulfill those wishes with a fairly simple concept: bowls of rice or greens topped with the customer’s choice of fresh vegetables, protein and sauces – all on display in refrigerator-tables behind a glass panel. Though it’s much more, to me, on this first visit, it meant lightning-fast sushi. Another customer could just as easily spec out a fresh garden salad. 

Prodded for some background, the server explained that poké is rooted in Hawaiian cuisine and, actually, means to dice or cut. Hence, the bowls of cubed raw fish – glistening salmon and bright red tuna.

Atlantic Poké
193 Boston Turnpike Rd. Shrewsbury
(508) 377-4441
atlanticpoke.com

What separates this from a traditional salad bar is fundamental: You, the customer, choose the ingredients while a server provides helpful guidance and builds the actual meal. And, while many salad bars “jumped the shark” with all sorts of saturated fat options, Atlantic Poké ingredients are a kaleidoscope of vibrant colors and textures that shout, “Look at me! I’m fresh!”

Another thing that separates it from 99 percent of the universe of fast-food joints is the shockingly pristine décor. The walls of Atlantic Poké are light blue and perfectly clean; the tables and chairs follow that color scheme and have the feel of a freshly furnished high-end cafeteria. Adjacent to the door, a video screen runs a constant loop featuring a rainbow of their colorful ingredients and exquisitely assembled bowls. 

There is a procedure to ordering and, on the evening my friend and I arrived, the server easily pegged us as newbies and energetically explained all our options. As their employee recruitment materials advise: This is not a dumping-rice-in-a-bowl type of place. You will need to be upbeat and engaging with our customers. You will act as a great tour guide/line server on a Poké food adventure. We are all about having a great customer experience at Atlantic Poké!

Our server was true to this in every way and assisted me in building an appealing and delicious dinner: sushi rice topped with edamame, springy black seaweed, crunchy corn, and masago, a vibrant-orange fish roe. From the protein table, I ordered scoops of raw tuna and salmon. Plus, a nice big helping of my favorite – seaweed salad, which was intensely green – and a dab of wasabi.

For the final touch, I chose the ginger sauce, soy-based, slightly sweet, simple and spicy. A scattering of black sesame seeds provided the final bits of color and flavor. 

A cooler of chilled beverages featured several flavors of Honest T; I selected a bottle of Moroccan Mint Green Tea. After choosing a table and retrieving paper napkins, we cracked our chopsticks apart and dug into our poké bowls. I was happy that I had selected ingredients with more restraint than I used to employ back in the golden age of the salad bar. This meant that instead of a plate laden with disparate ingredients that was unappetizing before I could even sit down to it, at Atlantic Poké, I enjoyed a healthy bowl of crunchy-fresh vegetables, tasty raw fish and springy seaweed.

Another unappealing feature of the typical fast-food experience – that rush to finish your meal and get back to the car and on the road – was blessedly absent at Atlantic Poké. We enjoyed a relaxed dinner and departed feeling nourished, not regretful.