Do the Poke

Dallas' Malibu Poke restaurant charts big expansion with 2 new locations

A Dallas poke restaurant is busting a move with two new locations, including one in Austin.

Malibu Poke will open a second Dallas location at 2355 Olive St., in the new McKinney & Olive high-rise between Klyde Warren Park and the American Airlines Center.

They're also looking to bowl over the competition in Austin with a fall opening at 211 Walter Seaholm Dr. in the burgeoning Seaholm District.

The casual concept comes from Jon Alexis (owner of Dallas' acclaimed TJ's Seafood Market & Grill) and brothers Ben and Eric Kusin. If the last two names sound familiar, maybe you caught them on ABC’s Shark Tank, where the pair scored $150,000 in funding for their line of fabric freshener wipes, Reviver.

Those are not the only famous name involved. FT33’s Matt McCallister, Dallas' two-time James Beard Award nominee and 2014 Food & Wine Best New Chef, helped design the menu with Alexis. The result brings fine dining standards to the quick service concept.

“We knew we wouldn’t be the first poke in Texas, but we wanted to be the absolute best,” said Eric Kusin in a release. “Who else to make the most unique poke bowls you’ve ever tasted than [Dallas’] fishmonger and most creative chef?”

At Malibu, guests can build their own bowl from ahi tuna, hamachi, Atlantic salmon, cooked shrimp, or a vegan protein with a base of brown or sushi race, cauliflower rice, massaged kale, or a seaweed blend. Sauces include bonito aioli, red miso, wasabi ponzu, coconut curry, and tropical chimichurri.

Choosing the perfect mix of toppings might require some hemming and hawing. Malibu Poke offers an eye-popping array of add-ons, ranging from fresh vegetables, fruits, and herbs; sprinkles like arare (tiny rice crackers), sansho pepper, Japanese condiment togarashi, spiced peanuts; and infused oils such as chili, chive, and wasabi.

If all the possibilities lead to paralysis, customers can opt for one of the chef’s concoctions like wasabi ponzu salmon or coconut curry hamachi. “Little minnows” are given their own menu featuring a paired down selection of ingredients not likely to have them turning up their noses.

The beverage program offers local draft beer, sake, and three different kinds of rosé — tap, sparkling, and frosé. Non-imbibers will have options including artisan teas, kombucha, coconut water, and soda.

The innovation doesn’t stop at the menu. Malibu Poke is outfitted with self-serve stations that make ordering easy, especially since the system explains the less commonly known ingredients on the menu. The kiosks also employ facial recognition software that remembers guests ordering histories.

Austin is on their radar because all three owners have lived in Austin and the Kusin brother have degrees from UT's McCombs School of Business.

"We aren’t just Dallas carpetbaggers — we have deep ties to Austin," Eric Kusin says.

Malibu Poke features gourmet bowls like wasabi ponzu salmon.

Photo courtesy of Malibu Poke

Malibu Poke features gourmet bowls like wasabi ponzu salmon.

openings

Matcha News

Calif bakery-cafe with creative drinks and snacks makes Dallas debut

Smoking Tiger

Garlic cheese bread and matcha latte from Smoking Tiger

A buzzy coffee shop and cafe from Southern California has made its Texas debut: Called Smoking Tiger, it opened in June in Carrollton, at The Great Oasis plaza at 2225 Old Denton Rd. #100, where it's serving Korean pastries, breads, coffee, and beverages.

Adored by Korean-Americans and possibly everyone on Instagram, the cafe is part of a chain founded in 2020 in Buena Vista, California, that encompasses both coffee shops as well as bakeries. The Carrollton location — full name "The Smoking Tiger Bread Factory" — is one of their most expansive, offering coffee, pastries, breads, and sandwiches.

Carrollton will be the first in the DFW area, but a spokesperson says it won't be the only, although they do not have specifics on other locations or timetable for opening.

Drinks
Their beverage menu is notably rich and creative, leading with the Tiger Latte, their signature brown sugar latte with caramel and frothed oat milk. The Smokin Spaniard is a twist on latte combining espresso, condensed milk, hazelnut, and cinnamon.

Other options summon favorite Korean flavors such as

banana milk latte
honey bori latte with barley milk and salted honey cold foam
sweet corn latte, with sweet corn milk and corn cold foam
chai latte
misugaru — a roasted rice latte served slightly sweetened over choice of milk

… plus matcha lattes including strawberry matcha latte; jeju matcha latte sweetened with maple syrup; hojicha latte, featuring jeju green tea — a green tea grown in South Korea — sweetened with vanilla.

Latte prices average about $6.50.

Other irresistible-sounding drinks include the Pineapple Express, featuring jasmine tea and pineapple concentrate, shaken with ice for a smooth texture; and "YSL" — Yuzu Sparkling Lemonade, featuring yuzu syrup, sparkling water, and lemon.

Garlic cheese bread at Smoking TigerSmoking Tiger

Food
Food options are equally as creative, led by three signature goodies:

Cream Cheese Garlic Bread — a large round roll with a heavy dose of garlic and cream cheese baked inside
Original Salt Bread — sort of like a cross between a roll and an everything bagel
Kimchi Musubi Croissant, featuring a croissant filled with a slice of Spam and kim chi, with a sheet of seaweed baked onto the top of the croissant

Plus "sconkies" — a cross between a scone and a cookie — in flavors such as Oreo or lemon earl grey. For Texas only, they also introduced a special menu of breakfast sandwiches such as a slider with scrambled egg, cheese, and habanero aioli on grilled King's Hawaiian rolls.

According to marketing director Andy Lee, part of its appeal is the way it channels similar cafes in South Korea offering both bread and coffee.

"We wanted to essentially create a space where people could experience modern Korean culture in a very authentic and approachable way," Lee told The Dallas Morning News.

That extends to the decor: They've outfitted the Carrollton location with vertical mahogany wood panels, often seen in cafes in South Korea and traditional Korean houses called hanoks.

coffee openings