While he works on a new handmade noodle shop across the street from his Convoy ramen house, RakiRaki Ramen & Tsukemen owner Junya Watanabe is simultaneously gearing up to open another new concept adjacent to RakiRaki in the space that formerly held the Hong Kong-style A Cafe.
Watanabe will launch Pokirrito there in late September; following the current poke craze, it will feature the marinated fish wrapped in handheld "sushi burritos" of seaweed and rice. Pokirrito will use a special variety of Japanese rice and wild caught Pacific tuna, with the fish flavored in a marinade made from soy, mirin and junmai sake. The poke will also be available tucked into fried wonton wrapper "tacos", piled atop a rice bowl or served on a salad with avocado and accompanied by a variety of sauces, from a spicy mayo to sweet and sour mango. Beyond poke, the seaweed or soy paper-wrapped burritos will also be stuffed with pork tonkatsu, sukiyaki, Peking duck and vegetarian fillings. The eatery will also sell an assortment of omusubi, snack-sized Japanese rice balls that will run from $3.75 to $5.
Yale Jallos Design (Wonderland, The Local Downtown) is transforming the 1,200-square-foot space into a steel-wrapped white, modern space that will have industrial elements and Tokyo-inspired style, along with a 12-tap beer counter.
