An Oahu-based poke business is making waves in downtown Mountain View as Ry’s Poke Shack officially opens its doors. Currently in its soft opening phase inside Ava’s Downtown Market, the business made its Bay Area debut on September 3, with a grand opening scheduled for September 25. Founded as a food truck on Oahu’s North Shore in 2020 by Ryan Ching and his wife, Khannie Ching, the brand gained international recognition after being featured on Netflix’s Street Food: USA in 2022 and expanding to Southern California in 2025. Ry’s now operates six locations, with Ryan Ching expressing a long-term vision to build a global poke empire that champions Hawaiian culture.
Origins and Entrepreneurial Journey:
A former architect, Ryan Ching shifted career paths during the pandemic to pursue his long-held dream of owning a food truck, utilizing traditional pupu recipes learned from his grandfather. Motivated by the observation that major commercial poke chains are largely not Hawaiian-owned, Ching aims to establish a direct cultural foothold for local islanders in their signature cuisine. Starting from a humble truck, the business has grown significantly, operating out of the former space of national chain Poke Bar inside Ava’s alongside neighbor Simply Sabor, making it one of two poke destinations on Castro Street alongside Pokeworks.
Menu Offerings and Unique Style:
Unlike its other sites, the Mountain View outpost departs from the signature “fresh toss” made-to-order style, offering nine pre-batched options served in takeaway containers over white rice seasoned with furikake, sushi rice, or spring mix. Customers can order items “By Da Bowl” ($17.95 for one choice, $23.95 for two), “By Da Pound” ($17.45 for a half pound, $31.45 for a full pound), or as Tsunami Nachos ($25), which feature tortilla chips topped with poke, crab salad, cucumber salad, spicy mayo, unagi sauce, furikake, tobiko, and green onion. Signature flavor varieties include the Lao Style (inspired by Ching’s Laotian wife), Firecracker, Signature Shoyu, and Garlic Ponzu Crunch.
Grand Opening Festivities:
To celebrate its official launch on September 25 from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., Ry’s Poke Shack will host a live poi-making demonstration by Toshio Toguchi of Oahu-based Da Poi Boi, accompanied by traditional Hawaiian dancers and live music. With grand global ambitions, Ryan Ching continues to push the brand forward while maintaining authentic roots.
