From Poke to Ramen: Yorkville’s Asian Fusion Shuffle Continues

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In what seems to be becoming a Yorkville tradition, yet another Asian fusion restaurant that closed a few weeks ago has been swiftly replaced by a new eatery offering similar fare. Although this isn’t a phenomenon exclusive to the Upper East Side, the neighborhood has seen plenty of turnover in the realm of fast, affordable Asia-inspired bites.

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Poke Fresh, located at 1588 York Avenue (between 84th and 83rd streets), closed for good on July 25, according to a post on the business’ Instagram. Serving up sushi rolls and poke bowls since 2017, the local spot officially transformed into a more thoroughly Japanese restaurant called Akura Ramen and Sushi on August 1, an employee told East Side Feed on Saturday. While Poke Fresh focused on the Hawaiian fusion favorite, as well as bubble tea offerings and various kinds of sushi, Akura is focused more on Japanese cuisine, including ramen, tempura, sushi and sashimi. That said, the new restaurant does also serve poke bowls.

“Poke Fresh will convert into another restaurant,” the July 21 post states. “We want to extend our deepest gratitude to each and every one of you who has supported us over these months. Whether you stopped by for a quick bite or became one of our regulars, your presence meant the world to us.”

Although the owners of the old and new restaurants are the same, they offered no concrete reasons for the closure (and did not respond to East Side Feed’s request for comment).

East Side Feed called Akura on Monday morning again to ask about Poke Fresh’s closure and whether there were any reasons for the abrupt change in businesses, but was told by an employee that they could not comment on the situation.

Akura is the latest Asian fusion restaurant to take up residence on a particular stretch of York Ave. that has seen its fair share of similar restaurants suddenly shutter–only to rapidly reopen as something extremely similar.

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Last May, a no-frills Asian fusion takeout spot called Bestway Kitchen (located just down the block at 1580 York Ave.) unexpectedly closed its doors—only to reopen roughly a week later as Lucky Dragon with a completely new look and menu.

Last year, Noodle Fun, a neighborhood favorite Chinese takeout joint that had been serving the area for more than a decade from its storefront at 1744 1st Ave. (between 90th and 91st streets), called it quits; shortly afterward, the location became the home of Bobafish–a quirky, more cafe-oriented eatery that offers, you guessed it, fried seafood and bubble tea, among other offerings.

“Restaurants may close for many reasons, and businesses are not required to disclose their reasons for shutting down,” Shari Logan, the assistant press secretary of the NYC Dept of Health, told East Side Feed in an email at the time.

Akura is open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. from Monday to Saturday; on Sunday, it’s open from 12 p.m. to 10 p.m.

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