In Chinatown and craving poke? Check out this subterranean spot, which specializes in kaisen don, or rice bowls with sashimi. Tora Japanese Restaurant’s knife cuts are on point, so along with those slim slivers of seafood they also rock some of the best poke in Boston, with big chunks of tuna, salmon, or shrimp with a colorful array of toppings. We love the Tuna and Salmon Spicy Shoyu Poke, with plump edamame and crunchy wonton crisps. 

Island favorite The Nautilus—Nantucket Island, that is—is not a poke spot, per se, but they do a version of Hawaiian tuna poke so nice, they serve it twice: This dish is also on the menu at the new waterfront The Nautilus Pier 4 in the Seaport. Two Hawaiian Tuna Poke is a duo in the bowl, too: Atop al dente sushi rice with a seaweed salad and ripe slices of avocado, it’s two side-by-side scoops of fresh fish, one tossed in a zippy dynamite sauce and the other simply shining with Indonesian soy and yuzu.

The takeout-only Manoa Poke Shop is where to go when you’re craving authentic Hawaiian food in Boston. This corner spot in Somerville is currently open Thursday through Sunday (though it also caters). It’s worth planning a visit to this highly rated poke spot: Generous poke bowls are well-packed with rice, creamy mac salad, kimchi cucumbers, and your choice of seafood pokes and proteins. (Aloha spirit? No extra charge.) From tamari-marinated yellowfin and salmon to tender, shredded kalua pig, these pros source seafood and pork like they are still on island—it’s that fresh and flavorful.

You’ll find tuna poke on the raw bar menu of Black Lamb, which means it’s a palate-cleansing serving that comes on ice rather than in a behemoth bowl with rice. You won’t miss the carbs, thanks to the crunchy addition of macadamia nuts, which lends just the right texture. Toothsome cubes of avocado and spicy red slivers of chili round out the petite plate, a refreshing dish that’s an ideal opener for a casually luxurious dinner at this South End brasserie. Bonus: it pairs perfectly with a Pimm’s Cup.