Taste Of The Islands - Poke Has Come To Seattle

Incredible tuna Poke bowl from 45th Stop and Shop & Poke Bar 

Being an international hub, Seattle boasts amazing food from around the world.  Flavors from as far away as central Africa are just as readily available as more common international fare such as sushi.  With all of this incredible food, there are always ebbs and flows in popularity.  Currently Poke is rising in popularity.  

Poke is a Hawaiian favorite consisting of seasoned cubes of raw fish, usually tuna, generally served in a bowl with rice and some sort of side. The combination is not unlike sushi, but the flavor is unique to Poke.  These incredible bowls are great to share, but just know there won't be enough.  

Some of our favorite Poke places:

Poke Bowl at Seattle Fish Guys

Historic Green Space - Kubota Garden

Few green spaces in Seattle have as interesting of a backstory as the Kubota Garden.  Initially created by Fujitaro Kubota in 1927, the gardens were a place where he could craft, design, grow and display the greenery for the Japanese-style gardens he installed in the Puget Sound area.  Since that time, the Gardens have grown to nearly 20 acres, been abandoned during WWII when the family was placed in an internment camp, restored by Fujitaro and his sons and declared a Historical Landmark of the City Of Seattle in 1981.  We arrived at the Gardens on a chilly February afternoon and as soon as we entered the gorgeous gates we realized we virtually had the entire Gardens to ourselves. The construction of the ponds and waterfalls along the walkways is somehow massive and delicate simultaneously and the winding paths constantly led us to new corners to be explored.   Of particular note were the multiple footbridges ranging from the small, hand-cut stone paths up to the large moon bridge that symbolizes the difficulty of living a good life: "Hard to walk up and hard to walk down."  Even in the slightly drifting snow, Kubota Garden kept us entranced and exploring its many pathways.   We can’t wait to return in the spring when the flowers are in bloom…and the weather is more hospitable. http://www.kubotagarden.org/visit/about-the-garden/