Experience: PVD-based Hometown Poké Expands to East Greenwich

Hawaiian-inspired bowls and boba offer a ray of sunshine on chilly days

Hometown Classic Bowl

Photos courtesy of Hometown Poke

Hometown Poké offers a tasty retreat from the cold

Photos courtesy of Hometown Poke

Posted Monday, December 2, 2024 9:00 am

Cuisine: Fresh poké, toast, and bubble tea

Atmosphere: Bright and welcoming fast-casual

Must-Try Items

Hometown Classic ($15): Ahi tuna, Atlantic salmon, hometown Hawaiian sauce, cucumber, onion, crab, seaweed salad, furikake, and wonton crunch

Veggie Works ($15): Organic tofu, edamame, ginger shoyu sauce, carrot, kale, seaweed salad, scallion, wonton crunch, and sesame seed

South Toast ($8): Seven Stars bread topped with ricotta, thick-cut bacon, sea salt, pepper, honey, and scallions

By Stacey Place

As the holiday season descends upon us with heaps of delicious feasting, chances are good you’re craving a healthy, light bite between indulgences. Hometown Poké, a Providence favorite that opened its East Greenwich location this summer, entices with nourishing and tasty riffs on poké, toasts, and bubble tea.

Escaping the early winter chill, I set foot inside the bright and open space with tables near large windows overlooking the bustling sidewalk and cozy bar-style seating in the back. Guests place orders at the counter, and your meal is prepared right in front of you – whether ordering off the menu of specialty bowls or building your own from a vast selection of fresh, colorful ingredients. A robust takeout operation lets customers who have ordered ahead simply pick up their orders from a shelf designated for this purpose.

For those who aren’t familiar with poké, it’s a Hawaiian dish usually containing cubes of raw, marinated fish and rice topped with a variety of veggies, ingredients that are sourced locally whenever available. Hometown Poké owner Tiffany Ting describes it as “sushi in a bowl.”

I went with the most popular, the Hometown Classic. It was heaping with cubed sushi-grade ahi tuna and Atlantic salmon, cucumber, avocado, onion, crab, seaweed salad, furikake (a popular Japanese seasoning often used in onigiri), and crunchy wonton pieces, drizzled with housemade Hometown Hawaiian sauce. All of the ingredients were fresh and flavorful, and the variety of textures made each bite exciting.

If raw fish isn’t your jam, you can also choose from cooked chicken, tofu, or cooked shrimp. All of the sauces are made fresh and run the gamut from Sriracha Aioli to Ginger Shoyu to Citrus Ponzu, just to name a few. Toppings range from the classics – cucumber, avocado, and scallion – to choice mix-ins like crab and garlic crisps.

In addition to poké bowls, Hometown also serves a variety of toasts. Using bread from Seven Stars Bakery (another Providence staple that’s expanded into East Greenwich), the toasts are delicious and come with a variety of toppings. I sampled the South Toast, which consisted of perfectly crisped bread topped with ricotta cheese and thick-cut bacon, drizzled with honey and sprinkled with sea salt, cracked pepper, and scallions.

To complement these savory snacks, I ordered from Hometown’s menu of ever-trendy bubble teas, which come in mango, passionfruit, green apple, lychee, or strawberry – or milk teas in classic, taro, Thai, matcha, or brown sugar – with a choice of boba flavors, too. I thoroughly enjoyed the passionfruit tea with lychee boba. Besides bubble teas, the restaurant has a variety of wines and beers to enjoy with your meal.

Whether taking a break from holiday shopping or seeking a sunny retreat during the dark evenings of winter, Hometown Poké has you covered – after all, you can’t live on Christmas cookies and eggnog alone.