Dartmouth Poke Spot Has SouthCoast’s Newest Snack Sensation

Say “aloha” to what might just become the SouthCoast’s newest snack sensation.

Pokémoto had its grand opening at 127 Faunce Corner Road in North Dartmouth today, and last week we stopped by the soft opening to try musubi.

Wait, what?

What Is Musubi?

Musubi is pretty simple: it’s Spam with white rice and a dash of teriyaki, wrapped up in nori, a Japanese seaweed often used in sushi. It makes for a perfect handheld sandwich.

How Did Musubi Come to Be?

Musubi has its origins in Japanese onigiri but has developed into the quintessential Hawaiian snack and lunch food with the addition of Spam, a favorite among the locals in Hawaii.

Spam became popular on the Hawaiian islands during World War II, when its long shelf life led to it being shipped to American soldiers stationed there.

According to Eater, the local residents began adopting it into their diet because the U.S. Government placed sanctions on Hawaiian residents such as restricting the deep-sea fishing that provided much of their protein. They turned to Spam to make up for it.

My coworker Kristen, who went to college in Hawaii, has long sung the praises of musubi. In Hawaii, you can often find it readily available at convenience stores, right near the register, for a quick on-the-go snack.

That’s the essence of how Pokémoto is selling its musubi, too – they’re in a rack right by the register, in two varieties (a spicy and non-spicy version), and priced at just $2.99 apiece, or two for $5.

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Pokémoto describes itself as healthy, Hawaiian food, and with its poké bowls, boba tea and musubi, it is living up to that.

They have a list of suggested bowls, or you can build your own.

They’re also making musubi constantly throughout the day, a few at a time, with the goal for them to always be nice and warm when you purchase them.

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Musubi is an excellent choice for a bite to eat when you don’t really have time to stop and sit down for a meal; it’s very filling but can easily be eaten while you’re shopping, taking a walk, riding your bike, or really doing just about anything else.

READ MORE: New Poké Spot Coming to Dartmouth

Now how long until someone creates a "Portuguese" version made with jag and a linguica patty?