Plenty of fish — big and small — are jumping into Denver's poke pond. The latest is Portland's QuickFish Poke Bar, a spinoff of Bamboo Sushi, which landed at Avanti Food & Beverage just over a year ago. QuickFish takes over Bamboo's Avanti stall on the upper floor of the food hall at 3200 Pecos Street.
QuickFish carries on the mission of sustainable seafood created by founder Kristofor Lofgren when he opened his first sushi bar in 2008. The new concept — the first QuickFish in Denver and the second in the country — will offer bowls rather than rolls, but with many of the same seafood options originally available at Bamboo. By now, Denver's poke fans are getting used to the drill: pick a base (sushi rice, marinated and raw greens, tortilla chips or "medicine rice" — a blend of fifteen grains), toss on a protein and top with free mix-ins or $1 additions. Oh, and for the price, you get to choose from seven sauces in variations on Pacific Rim flavors.
The proteins here are Hawaiian big-eye tuna, scallops, sockeye, Oregon albacore, Oregon bay shrimp and fried tofu. The shrimp and albacore are both pulled from fisheries certified by the Marine Stewardship Council, and the QuickFish team is dedicated to sourcing its other products from sustainable farms and fisheries worldwide.
If mixing and matching seems a little daunting, you can also choose from signature bowls. QuickFish offers seven, including one vegetarian combo and one beefy version called the Not Fish Bowl that's made with braised Angus and comes with Korean-style toppings.
Although Bamboo Sushi has temporarily vanished, it will resurface nearby at 2715 17th Street, wedged between Postino and Recess Beer Garden later this year. QuickFish is now open inside Avanti seven days a week; it will also have a brunch offering during the food hall's Saturday and Sunday service from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.