Sons of Thunder

Today I made the ill-advised decision to go to Sons of Thunder, a new poké joint that opened recently near my office. It wasn't ill-advised because of the food, I'll get to that in a bit. It was the worst decision ever because I am currently on crutches, and for some reason I thought it was one block closer to me than it really was. My arms were about to fall off by the time I got there, but got there I did!

First impressions were amazing. The lady working the register saw me hopping up the stairs with my crutches and rushed over to open the door for me, and after I ordered offered to have the kitchen staff bring my food to me instead of making me go up and get it. I didn't even have to ask, they just offered. The staff member that brought me my food and utensils also asked if I needed more napkins before he left. It's service like this, along with the food, that will be bringing me back here.

All that said, I ended up ordering a half and half of the ahi tuna and tako octopus (redundant, but that's what their menu says). I got it spicy and with brown rice as well. The cup it comes in also comes complete with a mixed green and cucumber salad and a small topping of seaweed salad.

The food itself tasted really fresh and really clean despite the creamy spicy sauce. There wasn't any hint of fishiness to the tuna, and the octopus was perfectly cooked to have just a bit of bite but not be too chewy. The rice also had a hint of ginger to it from time to time, and I think had I mixed things up a little better that might have made the taste a little more even. The spicy sauce had a nice mild heat to it. It was just enough to let you know it was there without overpowering the flavor of the fish. The marinade also wasn't too salty which was nice. It really let the flavors of the tuna and octopus shine through. The onions and scallions added a nice bite to the dish, and the onions also added a nice crunch.

The salad was a nice mixed greens melange with some slices of cucumber mixed in as well. I didn't know it was going to be in the cup or else I would have tried mixing things up a lot better so that they could have benefited more from the marinade and spicy sauce. The seaweed salad was nothing special, but I do like seaweed salad so it was a nice addition.

Overall, this was a very tasty meal. I'm really excited to have Sons of Thunder in the area, and I'm definitely planning on going back to explore more of their menu. The prices aren't bad compared to what I normally pay for lunches in the area, and the cleanliness and freshness of the flavors is a welcome addition. Looking forward to making another visit when I can actually walk again.

Sons of Thunder is located at 204 East 38th Street between 3rd Ave and the Tunnel Exit street.