Inside: Poke Stop

Inside: Poke Stop

Chef-owner Elmer Guzman, former executive chef at Sam Choy’s Restaurant and owner of the 4-year-old original Poke Stop in Waipahu, is a pioneer in the chef-run plate lunch movement, offering white tablecloth food at white Styrofoam prices. He plans to roll out a new Poke Stop every couple of years — perhaps in Kapolei next, then Honolulu.

The glass case that takes up almost the length of the restaurant was packed with poke: 19 varieties. But that’s just on Monday through Wednesday, Guzman said. By Thursday, they up the number to 28 to 31 types. “If you’re going to call yourself Poke Stop, you better have poke,” he joked.