Poke Bento and Beard Papa’s Partner to Make Boston’s Fish and Cream Puff Dreams Come True

Boston’s poke wave continues to roll through the city with the arrival of a new restaurant on Boylston Street that has an unlikely partner in a Japan-based bakery: Poke Bento and Beard Papa’s have joined forces at 827 Boylston St. to bring together a classic Hawaiian dish and cream puffs. This is the former Samurai space, as previously reported.

Poke (pronounced poh-kay), Hawaii’s raw fish salad that has gained traction in Boston over the last year, is only part of the equation at Poke Bento. The full Beard Papa’s menu is also available, including the chain’s coveted cream puffs (stuffed with everything from vanilla filling to chocolate and green tea), soft serve ice cream, and coffee. These sweet treats are offered alongside poke and bento boxes.

Poke Bento joins the restaurant community in Boston amid a surge in its namesake dish: Manoa Poke Shop, Pokéworks, and Poke City already hold a strong command over the dish north of the Charles River, and restaurants like Banyan Bar + Refuge and New Sushi, Inc. also have poke featured in dishes on their menu in Boston proper. Another out-of-town poke shop is also on the way: New York City’s The Pokéspot is pursuing a location here.

While the doors have opened at Poke Bento and Beard Papa’s, a formal grand opening is in the works for a later date; stay tuned for further details.

• Boston’s Poke Explosion Continues With at Least One New Back Bay Restaurant [EBOS]