How an expectant woman's hankerings led to a new restaurant in Modesto
'My husband was really into boba teas, and I was into poke bowls, so when this opportunity popped up, it just seemed perfect,' said Navjot Kaur. She and her husband, Harpreet Singh, operate the newly opened Pokemoto, located in Village One Plaza.
Kaur said she got the idea for the business in 2023 when looking for dining options as an expectant mother. 'I was craving sushi, but knowing you should not eat raw fish while pregnant, I tried a poke bowl with chicken instead,' she said. 'I was obsessed — it was all the flavor of sushi without the risk.'
A short time later, Kaur said, she was served a Facebook ad for Pokemoto franchise opportunities and it felt like a sign.
Within a few months, Kaur and Singh were scouting locations in Modesto. Kaur said customers have told her they are excited to have this option on this side of town. 'People have been coming in and trying this instead of something fried or with oil,' she said. 'They're saying, 'This is something healthy and delicious that we needed.''
Pokemoto specializes in Hawaiian-style poke bowls, which usually are pieces of raw tuna and salmon served over sushi rice with an assortment of toppings, from avocado to seaweed and many umami things in between. Bowls range from $14.99 to $16.99, and higher if you add extras.
The bowls are fully customizable, but if building your own seems too daunting, there are five signature bowls on the menu. For those unsure about uncooked proteins, bowls can be made with chicken, shrimp, Spam, and tofu. Kaur said the bowls are generous, and they offer salad instead of rice, if preferred, or a bowl made into a poke burrito, which is similar to a large sushi roll.
Singh recommends a boba drink to accompany your bowl. Pokemoto offers about a dozen types of iced boba tea, with or without milk and tapioca pearls, in flavors including mango, taro, watermelon, matcha and lychee. Teas start at $4.99 for a regular, up to $5.99 for a large. Kaur said they offer a happy hour from 3 to 5 p.m. daily, featuring boba teas at half price.
The restaurant also offers a variety of cold salads, including seaweed, lobster, and kani. There are also miso soup and Spam musubi made fresh to order.
Thomas Nguyen, the founder and owner of the Pokemoto franchise, was at the opening to support Kaur and Singh. After living in Hawaii, he started the company in Connecticut in 2017 when he found little to no poke restaurants in the New England area.
In just eight years, Pokemoto now has over 40 locations nationwide. In California, there was only one Pokemoto, in Petaluma. The Modesto store is the second location in the state.
Kaur and Singh said they hope to add more locations in the Central Valley over the next few years and already are looking to expand in Manteca and Ceres.
'We think the concept is unique because it offers something for adults and kids, fresh food and sweet drinks,' said Kaur. 'Other poke places are more focused on just the poke, but this one is focused not only on the older generation but the younger generation, too.'
The store had a two-day soft opening and then a three-day grand opening that started on March 28.
Pokemoto is at 3020 Floyd Ave, Suite 103. It is open daily from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and offers online ordering and delivery service through GrubHub.
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