It started as a social media tease, orchestrated by Hiro Asian Kitchen owner Bernie Lee. Then there was an image of a new sign for Hiro Poké Co. (posted in an article by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Ian Froeb) on the Met Square building.

One of the most respected restaurateurs in town and a long-time advocate of downtown St. Louis, Lee's since provided more details.

He wanted to capitalize on the nationwide (and somewhat recent) popularity of poké (a Hawaiian salad topped with cubed, marinated raw fish) and saw an opportunity (and a vacancy) at The Eatery, downtown St. Louis’ first food hall, located on the ground floor of the Metropolitan Square building. Later this month, Hiro Poké Co. will join existing tenants Kimcheese, Dino's Deli, and Arista Gourmet (a sister restaurant of Dino’s Deli).

Lee says that because business at Hiro Asian Kitchen ebbs and flows, cross-marketing with a different concept could be a win-win. “There are people—some who live downtown and others who drive Washington Avenue regularly—who are just discovering Hiro," he says, "and we’ve been around almost five years!”

Lee is no stranger to poké and poké bowls: Three years ago, he experimented with it at Hiro, but he says it didn’t sell because of the lack of familiarity in the Midwest. It turned out, he was just ahead of the curve. In the past year, such eateries as BLK MKT Eats, PokeDoke, and VP Square have made poké (rhymes with "OK") a household word in St. Louis.

Hiro Poké Co. will serve poké in two sizes (priced at $8.95 and $10.95), served atop rice or greens (hence the “rice bowls” and “salads” designation on the logo). Proteins will include raw ahi tuna and salmon, as well as cooked shrimp and chicken, imitation crab, marinated mushrooms, and local tofu.

“I felt I had to Americanize it a bit, modify the concept a little” he says. “If I served all raw fish, I might as well not open.” Customers can customize their bowls with myriad add-ins, sauces, and toppings. Hoping that St. Louisans will connect with the concept, he gave the three signature bowls city-inspired names: Aloha St. Louis (with tuna and salmon), Go Cards (with cooked chicken), and Forest Park (with tofu and veggies).

Hiro Poké Co. will also serve ramen, another somewhat recent trend, but here Lee takes a different approach. The broths served at Hiro are both pietan-style, the most popular style in Japan right now, according to Lee who recently traveled there. “Pietan is the soup, the ramen style right now,” he says.

The stock of pietan ramen (pai means “white” and tan means “broth”) can be chicken-based (Tori Paitan Ramen) or vegetable-based (Shoyu Vegetable Ramen). Hiro will offer both.

Prior to the opening, slated for mid-June, Lee will host a pop-up dinner at Hiro Asian Kitchen on Thursday, June 14, beginning at 5 p.m. All signature bowls and both new styles of ramen will be available, as well as appetizers from Hiro Asian Kitchen.