NEWS
B Y K E L LY K E N O Y E R
POKE RESTAURANT
• We were excited to hear from Greenhill Humane Society
that Tank, the pit bull who has waited more than 500 days to
find a home, was adopted by Eugene Weekly readers after his
story appeared in our annual Pets issue. Go Tank!
• Faced with mounting evidence that playing football
causes brain disease, what are America’s institutions of higher
learning going to do about it? A recent study found that more
than 99 percent of brains from deceased former NFL players
that were examined contained chronic traumatic
encephalopathy (CTE), the degenerative disease linked to
repeated blows to the head (goo.gl/wk53QJ). The same study
found CTE in 48 of 53 former college football players. America’s
universities are hitched to football — they rely on football to
generate huge revenues. But universities are supposed to be
about knowledge and learning. Can they continue to send
students out to play a game that apparently damages their
brains?
• Are Americans ready for single-payer health care? That
topic drew enthusiastic applause Tuesday afternoon when Rep.
Peter DeFazio addressed a few hundred people who turned out
in the heat for a town hall meeting at Churchill High School. “That
does not mean socialized medicine,” the popular Democratic
congressman said. “It means you have one entity that insures
people.” As a step toward that major reform, DeFazio suggested
a “national not-for-profit plan that everyone can sign up for”
should be offered to all Americans alongside private insurance
plans. We agree.
• When Dan Bryant gave his 20-minute local “TED talk” to
the City Club of Eugene on July 28, a couple of remarkable
numbers stood out. Pastor of the First Christian Church in
downtown Eugene and tireless advocate for homeless housing,
Bryant told how his 106-year-old church is providing roughly
20,000 contacts with people in need every year. That includes
breakfast every Sunday for 400, hundreds more through the
Egan Warming Center, and 50 to 100 walk-ins from the street
every week. Can the congregation and leadership of this old
white Eugene church be in the same country as the leadership
in the White House in Washington, D.C.? As Bryant says,
“Homelessness is a justice issue.”
• The heat wave this week isn’t just a danger to your electric
bill, it’s a fire danger. The Oregon Department of Forestry has
declared an extreme fire danger level for rural areas of Lane
County and northwest Douglas County, and warns against
using gas-powered or spark-emitting equipment. Setting
campfires outside of incorporated campgrounds is also
forbidden. David Kjosness with ODF's Western Lane District said
in a press release, "We are asking that people be extremely
mindful of this hot, dry weather and avoid any activity that
could spark a fire, whether it is formally restricted or not." Be
careful out there!
8
A ugust 3, 2017 • eugeneweekly.com
A young restaurateur creates a hip dining experience
in downtown Eugene
T
here’s a trendy new lunch spot for those who
live and work downtown, and the creator be-
hind it is just 24 years old. Poke Stop serves
poke bowls, a sort of “Hawaiian fish salad,”
according to creative mind and manager Jina
Choi.
Choi’s new restaurant is situated right near the
downtown bus station — something that served as the
inspiration for its name, along with wordplay refer-
encing the ubiquitous mobile game Pokémon Go. The
location used to be Happa Restaurant, a sushi place
owned and run by Choi’s parents, Diana and Steve
Choi. “I’ve been in Eugene for 10 years now and my
parents are local restaurant owners here,” Choi says.
“They own Sushi Seoul and now they own Belly.”
When Happa failed to turn a profit, they closed
it down. Choi, a recent University of Oregon gradu-
ate, decided to open it again under new management
and with fresh paint and design choices. The interior
is sleek, with minimalist décor, succulent plants and
simple white furniture. A favorite piece for Instagram
is the pink neon “hello gorgeous” sign on a wall by
the bar.
Choi says she came up with the idea for a poke
restaurant after visiting Hawaii in March. She noticed
that many people there would order poke to go, then
take it home to add their own sauces and toppings.
She says she thought her own restaurant “could be
Subway style, where people could customize their or-
ders and add stuff.”
Choi says her shop is aimed at a younger genera-
tion. “We’re excited to bring in more young people
to downtown,” she says, adding that their marketing
was entirely through Instagram and Facebook.
“It’s unique because we’ve got unlimited toppings
and lots of options,” she says, looking around to ad-
mire her handiwork. She remodeled the entire loca-
tion herself in just two weeks. “This place is adorable
— I love it. It’s so cute. I can’t get over the decora-
tion, how it all came together.”
The food is delicious, too. Since Choi has the sup-
port of her parents in her endeavor, she has access to
high-quality fish from their sushi suppliers. The bowls
are completely customizable, with arugula, green tea
and coconut rice and many other options as possible
bases. The fish is fresh, and there are dozens of top-
pings to choose from — including Red Hot Cheetos.
Customers can make the bowls spicy or sweet to
their taste, and there are fresh fruits and vegetables
available as toppings. Some can even choose to get
their bowl served inside a fresh pineapple.
A small bowl is just $9, making it an economical
downtown lunch spot. Choi has kombucha on tap and
La Croix in the fridge, plus adorable Korean snacks
lining the counter. In the future she says she plans
to feature different local bakeries, with cupcakes and
desserts available for customers.
Though Poke Stop has been open for a few weeks,
the grand opening celebration is noon to 4 pm Friday,
Aug. 4. “We’re doing free cupcakes, free musubi and
free champagne,” Choi says.
Poke Stop, located at 1044 Willamette Street, is open from 10:30 am to
8 pm daily. For more info visit eatpokestop.com or find it on Facebook
@eatpokestop.