Last year, the owners of the popular Short Grain brought a taste of Hawaii to Jersey City’s waterfront and tomorrow, they are opening a new spot right in the heart of residential Downtown.
Co-owners Boris Kouptsov and Jon Mo started Tidal Poke Company as a pop-up shop in Harborside Financial Center last September. The business focuses on poke bowls, an Asian-inspired rice, seafood and vegetable combination whose popularity is starting to expand beyond its Hawaiian origins. While business is strong, the duo says their location surrounding office buildings means they serve a more corporate community.
“We’re really far from locals currently,” says Mo, explaining why they decided to open a second space at 337 Grove Street. He notes that the Harborside building is currently closed on weekends and says the upcoming Grove Street outpost of Tidal Poke will allow them to present a more complete concept for the restaurant.
Co-owner Kouptsov says that the secret to Tidal Poke Company’s success stems from ordering fresh wild and caught fish almost daily and making an effort to use organic vegetables to ensure the highest quality. He tells Jersey Digs that the rise in poke’s profile is rather simple.
“It’s a good way to show people a new type of food, but with familiar flavors that are similar to sushi,” Kouptsov says.
In a shift from their Harborside location, the Grove Street spot will be open seven days a week from 8AM-10PM. A more robust morning menu will be featured at the new location, which will include some Hawaiian coffees and additional smoothie options. Seating for about 20 diners is built into the new space.
In terms of the lunch and dinner menu, additional premium options will be available at Tidal Poke Grove Street that include sea urchin and salmon roe dishes. More topping and beverage choices will also be featured and a soft-serve ice cream machine is in the works.
Tidal Poke Company is set to open their new outpost on June 24th, so stop by and see firsthand the restaurant’s expanded vision.
