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    Pokelava

    4.6 (28 reviews)
    Open 11:00 am - 9:30 pm

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    Mayu Ramen
    Dawn K.

    They were really busy with online orders because it was during peak dinner time, but the ladies at the register and the poke station were so kind. One of them immediately noticed that I was waiting and reassured me that she would be right with me! She was generous with the salmon portions and I love how efficiently she worked to make sure that I got my food in a timely manner! I usually get the ponzu and umami shoyu mixed together, but this time, I got the ponzu and poke classic sauce. I like the combo of my go-to better! Ponzu has a citrus zing and it pairs so well with the soy sauce and the fish! Must get the seaweed salad and kani salad! I also love getting diced mango and onion crisps in my poke because the mango adds a nice sweet, tangy freshness to the bowl and the onion crisps add an aromatic fried crunch that pairs well with the fish and the zingy sauce!

    Poke bowl
    Anna L.

    Delicious, fresh poke located in a strip mall. The space is huge and bright with many tables and booths! They also have ramen and other dishes. I enjoyed my salmon poke bowl which was stacked high. My partner had a shrimp noodle bowl which was just tempura a top a bed of plain udon noodles. He didn't enjoy it. Choose the poke.

    Ahi and spicy tuna poke bowl!
    Chrystal N.

    Always fresh and made to order. The team that works here is always so accommodating! I'm trying all the sauces and they give you their recommendations and go over the savory sweet options. I'm not familiar with all the sauces. So it's great they have no issues letting you try some on the side! The bowls are huge!

    Pork Bao Bun (2)
    Eva S.

    I love this place! The food is delicious and fresh. The portions are generous. The two ladies who run it are so nice! My friend and I are handicapped and they are always so helpful! The space is clean and bright with whimsical touches.

    Simone T.

    Several times I've gone, even when the place is pretty empty, the people have been nice and attentive. Oftentimes, an empty place = people checked out. Kudos to the two people working there on Sunday night! One of them recommended the sauces to me and generously gave me 3 to try so I could figure it which one I'd get next time.

    the entrance to poke bowl
    Erica R.

    This is a new (I think it opened in August?) Pokelava location on Meadow Street in downtown Ithaca - different from the Pokelava up in Cornell's collegetown area (the Dryden Rd location). As a long-time (well, at least since 2019) visitor to the Pokelava in collegetown, I was super excited to have this new Pokelava location open up recently. It's a lot easier for me to get to (with easier parking) when I'm visiting, and the menu is more expansive than the collegetown location itself. I've tried various items off the menu at this location, and I haven't had anything that I *haven't* enjoyed, honestly... though the bulgogi beef bowl, tan tan ramen, and customized poke bowl are all personal favorites. Personally? I recommend coming back for multiple visits and sampling a variety of things from the menu each time. :D I'm glad to say that I'll continue to be a customer of Pokelava, but will likely default to this location from now on (vs collegetown) because of the more expansive menu. The staff here are also just so damn delightful. You can't go wrong!

    Gyu Don bowl

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    7 months ago

    The staff is very nice and the food always tastes extremely fresh. Prices are reasonable for the area.

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    9 months ago

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    1 year ago

    This place is always nothing but issues!!! Terrible service and extremely slow. Go to taichi or the location in collegetown instead

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    1 year ago

    Wide variety. Fresh ingredients. Healthy options. Generous portions. Great service. Try it, you won't be disappointed!

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    2 years ago

    Customer service was excellent with a nice variety of choices. Very clean and the Sushi was Delicious.

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    2 years ago

    Excellent food and service. Everything tasted so good. We had the poke bowl, a curry dish, and egg rolls. Don't miss eating here.

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    2 years ago

    Best poke in town! Delicious! Fresh! Big portions- reasonable prices! Highly recommended. Plenty of parking in front of the restaurant.

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    2 years ago

    Very friendly. Not very busy and good sized servings. Best poke place in Ithaca for sure

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    MIX Kitchen & Bar

    MIX Kitchen & Bar

    4.3
    (488 reviews)
    0.3 mi
    $$

    I joined Cornell CHAARG, an organization (rather scammy one but that's beyond the point) dedicated…read moreto showing college-aged women that fitness can be fun and fulfilling. Anyways... what did I get out of it? An awesome group of people and well... MIX. Updating my review because MIX deserves a proper shoutout and I haven't done it justice. This place is unequivocally my absolute FAVORITE brunch spot. The selection is vast, the portions are hearty, and the staff? They're the kindest, most accommodating folks you'll meet. It's like they've mastered the art of making you feel right at home. And the food? Oh, the food is ABSOLUTELY divine. Every bite is a delicious reminder of why I've converted to the church of brunch. Seriously, I went from a casual brunch-goer to a full-fledged brunch enthusiast, all thanks to CHAARG for leading me to this culinary gem. My brunch game has never been the same.

    I've had brunch, lunch, and dinner at MIX, and all with varying levels of enjoyment. My recent…read morebrunch experience included ordering a Where the West Begins omelette, which includes "Braised short rib, butternut squash, red onion jam, spinach, smoked gouda". I wasn't sure how to feel about butternut squash with everything else (I'm not necessarily a huge squash fan - but I'm trying to learn to enjoy it), but the omelette was decent... it's the other side on my plate that looked less than appetizing. The biscuit was still covered in flour (and who wants to bite down on a clump of flour?), the cheddar hashbrown casserole lacked in flavor, and the brown sugar cinnamon oatmeal just... wasn't doin' it for me. Other recent experiences have been similar... there's usually one item on the plate that's flavorful or imventive (sometimes a main dish, sometimes a side), and the other parts of the plate are lacking. In reality, I think MIX is suffering a bit from rising food costs and inconsistency in their service and offerings. They've also changed the style of their menu from the original tapas-style to now being more typical entree options. Again... they've lost some of their innovative, experimental approach. In terms of ambiance, it really depends. I've been here for a work event and, because of the number of people, it was SO LOUD... they had also done a buffet offering for the event. As you can imagine, the food from the buffet was lacking, but that's often what happens when you're more mass producing your food (and it's left in a chafing dish, trying to be kept warm). On the other hand, I've been here for a dinner on a random night and was able to enjoy one of their Thai noodle bowls (and split some other apps with friends). The reality is that experiences at MIX are... well... a mix. Whether service, menu offerings, etc., I've found MIX's recent inconsistencies to be a disappointment. Will probably only visit in the future if it's suggested by others.

    Photos
    Hawaiian ahi poke
    Hawaiian ahi poke
    Purple sticky rice dumpling
    Purple sticky rice dumpling
    Duck quesadilla

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    Duck quesadilla
    Mia Restaurant

    Mia Restaurant

    3.9
    (207 reviews)
    0.9 mi
    $$

    Mia is an Asian Fusion shop on Aurora Street in Ithaca. This area is noted for some compelling…read moredining venues so a chef needs to bring his A Game to compete in this neighborhood. In the case of Mia, Executive Chef Yuttanun Nakaranuruck has crafted a superb mix of flavors and spices to fuse together the tastes of Japan, China, Thailand, and India into a unique and captivating menu. Mia has a sophisticated interior decor that holds fewer than ten tables. They don't take reservations (I would suggest they ought to do so) so one might have to nurse a beverage at the bar while waiting for a table. They do have outdoor seating behind the store but, in 90 degree heat, this was not a very appealing option. In the event, we were fortunate to claim a freshly vacated table and so our evening began without a hitch. This is a Pan-Asian tapas store that does offer larger plate options but the small plates variety and flair makes tapas the obvious choice. We were greeted by Andrew, and Englishman who made his way to the Finger Lakes and chose not to return to Bedfordshire. His service was attentive, punctual, and he offered insight into an interesting if unusal assortment of Asian fusion offerings. Our evening began with Hendricks extra dry Gibsons up before transitioning to the Argiano Winery Super Tuscan which is a delectable blend of French Cab and Merlot with Tuscan Sangiovese. It conveys dark cherry, raspberry, and plum with an earthy underbrush before yielding to a velvety finish. Argiano has made this a staple of their cellar and it never ceases to satisfy. Moreover, when confronted with a bold menu such as Mia's, this full bodied wine has more than enough muscle to stand up to Thai, Chinese, and Indian tapas. At Andrew's suggestion, we selected the Prawns in Kerala curry with Japanese eggplant, Thai sun-dried beef with sticky rice, braised pork belly in a star anise and ginger soyu, and sautéed Asian greens with a mushroom garlic soyu & truffle oil. This blend of tapas complemented each other perfectly and more than sated our hunger. Having said which, their limited yet thought-provoking sleection of desserts was compelling and we finished with an Asian twist on Creme Brulee with double espressos with a twist. Mia is an interesting venue with an engaging selection of intriguing dishes. We believe it merits your attention.

    I do not recommend this restaurant at all. As soon as we sat down, we were told that if we didn't…read moreorder within 5 minutes, we wouldn't be able to eat--yet no one even came to take our order. To make matters worse, another party that arrived 10 minutes after us was seated without issue. Since it was our first time here, we were looking at popular menu photos on Yelp and Google to place our order. When we did, the server shook their head repeatedly with an openly condescending attitude. Even though we are Asian and English is not our first language, we strongly felt discriminated against. When we finished our meal about 40 minutes later, the restaurant was still taking in new customers. They told us we couldn't eat unless we ordered within 5 minutes because they were closing soon... Was that 5-minute order rule meant only for us?

    Photos
    Appetizers: seared tuna, crab wonton, beef skewers, shrimp with curry
    Appetizers: seared tuna, crab wonton, beef skewers, shrimp with curry
    Lychee aeperol spritz
    Lychee aeperol spritz
    Mia Restaurant

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    Pokelava - poke - Updated August 2026

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