Angry Crab Co-Owner's Pokiology Brings Poke Trend North to Uptown Today

After some delays in scheduling a health inspection, Pokiology, the poke bowl shop from a co-owner of The Angry Crab, opens at 11 a.m. today. Owner Mark Nguyen has taken the popular assembly line concept to Uptown, giving Chicago its third stand-alone poke spot.

Nguyen, who owns The Angry Crab with his brother David Nguyen, said the customization at Pokiology sets it apart from competitors including Aloha Poke Co. and FireFin Poké Shop. Check out the menu (see below) and compare. There’s a nod to the maniac saucing at The Angry Crab with "three-way affair" sauce combo. The protein selections are familiar, but Pokiology also offers diners a unique scoop of crabmeat to top off their bowl.

Poke is somewhat a polarizing topic for Hawaiians who grew up eating the bowls. Folks have even latched onto calling them sushi bowls. The Reader covered the poke trend, and linked back to a piece by chef Mark Noguchi, who shares his perspective about the commodification of Hawaii. He mentions how Hawaii is a combo of cultures including Japanese and Filipino, and that he hopes that poke shop owners know the backstories and deliver a tasty product. Oh, and never put an accent over the "e" in poke. That's not a word, Noguchi wrote.

While Aloha Poke continues expansion plans, with a new shop inside the Revival Food Hall in The Loop, Mark Nguyen also said more Pokiology locations aren’t out of the question. He even filed for a trademark for the name. But right now he’s focusing on opening his first.

Check out the menu below. DNAinfo first reported the opening.

Pokiology, 4600 N. Magnolia Ave., (773) 961-7624, open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.