Restaurant Review: Mom's Poké & Sushi

Fresh Fish in the Desert?

I will be the first to admit that I lived in Arizona quite a few months before I got up the courage to try raw fish in the desert. As I learned years ago from my husband, it’s best to eat fresh fish near the ocean and the ocean (or any other body of water) is nowhere near here.

Poké was a staple on my regular-rotation lunch menu back in Orange County and it’s the kind of thing that’s kind of addicting, one of those things that you just have to have.

Discovering Mom’s Poké

Eventually my gnawing craving got the best of me and I found Mom’s. As soon as I walked in the door, I knew I was in the right place - sparkling clean, the first thing I look for in a restaurant. The service is always exceptional and it’s usually Bri (pronounced “Bree”) but sometimes Newton (Mom’s son who is always there) up front making the bowls while others work in the kitchen.

A Surprise Visit

I should have called ahead to let them know about my plan to feature them in the first issue of this publication, Mom’s being my favorite restaurant and all. Unfortunately, the day I popped by, Mom was out recovering from a recent surgery (Get Well Soon, Mom!).

Luckily, Bri was at the helm and told me who I should talk to about all this. Newton was summoned.

The Story Behind Mom’s  

Newton graciously answered my questions while online orders poured out of the digital machine in the background. When I asked Newton if he owned the place, he laughed and said, “As typical with all Asian families, the parents’ names are on the lease, but it’s the kids who are expected to do the work.”

Mom opened Mom’s in November 2019 after taking over a failing business in the same location. They spent 2019 and 2020 renovating, and remarkably, the pandemic was good for them! They have been going strong for nearly five years!

Mom’s Entrepreneurial Spirit

Mom has owned different restaurants, going all the way back to 1998. Newton said she will own a place for 4-5 years and then sell and move on to a different restaurant. I was curious if they owned a sushi restaurant before and he laughed saying “no” that this Mom’s concept was developed because Mom observed there was no place to get sushi on this side of the valley.

Lessons in Success

Mom sounds like a brave woman to me, someone who doesn’t get complacent. Again, Newton laughed. He said Mom is “very simple, very whimsical.” He said that their family understands what is required to own your own business (and that most people don’t understand what it takes). He said that when they decide to do something, failure is not an option, they are ALL IN. [No mistake that I talked to him on the eve of launching this publication, reminding me that failure is not an option. Thanks, Newton 😉]

Finding Home at Mom’s

As I was talking to Newton and compiling this article, I realized how important this little place has been in my settling into my new hometown here in Buckeye. If you’ve never relocated to another state before, and/or to a place where you know no one, it’s quite isolating.

While it’s a very good thing their food is consistently exceptional, I come back here for more than that… I keep coming because of the way they make me feel, welcome, familiar, and at home. They always remember me (and sometimes even my order)!

Comfort and happiness was found in having one of my favorite meals and also having them recognize and converse with me. The embodiment of the age-old sentiment “wanting to go where everybody knows your name,” the importance of which I never really understood until we moved away from our roots. (I didn’t even connect those dots until today…)

My Go-To Order at Mom’s

I will leave you with my standard Poké bowl order, outlined below. Mom’s has other food too, the cooked kind (ha!) and also sushi rolls. It never occurred to me to try anything other than a bowl, but in reviewing the menu for this article, I definitely see a “Volcano Roll” in my future.

Thank you Mom, Newton, Bri and the rest of the staff who work hard to make Mom’s a consistently-great place to eat! I will see you again soon!

When you visit, be sure to tell them The Buckeye Buzz sent you! ❤️