Poke at Coffee Factory. Wait, What?

Every time I pass by Coffee Factory with its logo emblazoned "World's Best Coffee Sold Here," I want to yell "Congratulations!" a la Buddy the Elf.

I finally stopped in recently, but not because of the coffee. I've got The Everything Guide to Ahi on my mind and downtown workers tell me the poke at Coffee Factory is some of the freshest around. Poke? It seems so improbable. From the outside, there's hardly a clue that there's any fresh fish in here, though if you look hard enough, you'll see a piece of paper taped to the window telling you to ask Jason about today's fresh catch. Inside, there's no seafood menu, just a list of coffee and smoothies on the wall, a messy pile of supplies in one corner, swivel office chairs and a few tables in another corner, and oh-wait-there-it-is: a small display case with fish fillets.

To order poke here, specify your spice level and whether you want limu and onion. It's mixed to order, the spice supplied by sriracha. So how is it? It's not the best-seasoned poke I've had, but the lean ahi is firm and fresh. Since the cut is so lean, I'd prefer some inamona or sesame oil to add some richness. It's $8 for a quarter deli container, plus rice. You can also order your holiday sashimi platter here, just ask Jason.

Oh, and about the coffee: I probably won't be running in to congratulate them on it anytime soon.

Coffee Factory, at the Remington College Building, 1111 Bishop St., 258-5595

Want to know where to find the best ahi dishes? Check out The Everything Guide to Ahi in December's issue. We picked our 10 favorite places to eat ahi, tell you where to get the best selection and find out how it's caught.