Like the other fast casual poke places that have come and gone in Tucson, Pure Poke and Prep, 6501 E. Grand Road, will let customers assemble their own poke bowls with fresh ingredients. The restaurant will also have a menu of set bowls.

East-side poke fans still mourning the loss of Hoki Poki on East Grant Road now have another spot to get their ahi tuna fix.

Pure Poke and Prep opens Thursday, Sept. 3, at the same location, 6501 E. Grant Road, just north of the North Kolb Road/East Tanque Verde Road intersection.

Owner Greystone LaPoint said the restaurant will focus on quality ingredients with an emphasis on traditional Hawaiian poke methods.

LaPoint is originally from Ohio. He discovered poke while working an extended catering gig in Oahu about six years ago.

New to Hawaii, LaPoint consulted his co-workers on local spots where they liked to eat and they pointed him to Kahuku Superette, a convenience market on the north end of the island.

β€œI walked in and there was a small, older Hawaiian lady with a giant hunk of fresh-caught tuna on a cutting board,” he said. β€œI fell in love with it. From there, I spent time driving laps around the island trying all the different poke places.”

Pure and Poke Prep’s Kahuku poke bowl is Oahu-style poke made with simple cubed ahi, white onion, green onion, sesame seeds and Kahuku sauce made with traditional sweet soy, sesame and ginger blend.

Pure Poke and Prep will serve poke two different ways, LaPoint said.

Like the other fast casual poke places that have come and gone in Tucson, including the national chain LemonShark Poke, which is still open on East Grant Road and North Tucson Boulevard, Pure Poke and Prep will give customers the option to assemble their own poke bowls with fresh ingredients.

LaPoint said the restaurant will also have a menu of set poke bowls, with tuna and salmon options served in a variety of different marinades.

Traditionalists can pick up the Kahuku poke, Oahu-style poke made simple with cubed ahi, white onion, green onion, sesame seeds and a Kahuku sauce made with a traditional sweet soy, sesame and ginger blend.

More adventurous eaters will want to try the Momona poke, which comes in a spicy mayonnaise, with red pepper paste, Thai red dragon chile and Chiu Chow chili oil.

β€œIt has a richer taste and is super spicy,” LaPoint said.

LaPoint said the restaurant has its core flavors and will rotate in seasonal flavors, some of which will incorporate elements of the Southwest.

Pure Poke and Prep, a new Hawaiian restaurant focusing on poke bowls, will have its core flavors and rotate in seasonal flavors, some of which will incorporate elements of the Southwest.

β€œBecause it is such a simple, clean food, it presents itself to local ingredients,” he said.

In addition to the poke, Pure Poke and Prep will offer bingsu, a type of Korean shaved ice dessert found only in a handful of places around Tucson; and LaPoint will soon have craft beer from Arizona and Hawaii, as well as several different types of sake.

For more information on the restaurant, visit facebook.com/purepokeprep or purepokeprep.com.


22 restaurants we wish were still open:

The Javelina, or Collared Peccary, is not a pig. Javelina live in groups and are mainly herbivores.


Become a #ThisIsTucson member! Your contribution helps our team bring you stories that keep you connected to the community. Become a member today.

Contact reporter Gerald M. Gay at ggay@tucson.com or 573-4679.