Massachusetts Avenue, in downtown Indianapolis, has always been one of my favorite places to spend a fun night out for dinner or drinks. One of the more recent places that opened there in early December is Moar Tea & Poke. I was really excited to try this place because even though I’ve eaten a poke bowl before, I’m always ready to try a new place once in a while, and a friend who accompanied me was excited to try it for the first time.
For those who do not know what a poke bowl is, it originates from Hawaiian culture in which the word “poke” means “to slice or cut.” It refers to chunks of raw or marinated fish, thrown over rice with various veggies and sauces, all combined in a bowl.
I walked into Moar Tea & Poke and immediately was impressed with how aesthetically pleasing it was inside; all of the tables and chairs were made from stained wood and decorated with leaves and vines. Placed on each of the tables were menus and pencils, which indicated that we had to fill out our order ourselves and make our way up to the register.
I ended up getting the poke rice bowl with zucchini noodles, but other options included a burrito or salad bowl. My bowl had a good amount of spinach, shrimp, avocado, cucumber and onions, topped off with cilantro and fried onion. Moar Tea & Poke also specializes in bubble tea. The teas came in multiple different flavors such as green tea, black tea, aloe vera or even milk and sugar with boba balls, which are starch-like and consist of powder and jelly. Although I did not, my friends bought bubble tea and said it was really good.
The food came out in a very timely manner, under 10 minutes. As soon as I took my first bite of my zucchini noodle and shrimp poke bowl, I knew I was going to enjoy the rest of it. I finished the whole meal still wishing that there was more to eat.
I was very impressed with not only the food, but the service and the location of Moar Tea & Poke in general. In my experience, Mass. Ave. always has been a fun place to visit that isn’t very far from campus, and this restaurant only reinforces that idea. I would definitely recommend Moar Tea & Poke to any of my friends who are wanting to go out and experience a poke bowl or bubble tea for the first time. And for people who eat poke and drink bubble tea often, this is a great place to get their fix.
