Turlock family to open second location of unique restaurant — in Modesto. ‘We persevered’
A mom, dad and son trio are opening a second location of their fusion restaurant in Stanislaus County.
Terracotta Poke Bowl has one location in Turlock and soon will have another in Modesto. It’s owned by Nick Chan and his parents, Carol Li and Anthony Chan.
“We opened our first restaurant just before the pandemic and it’s been a journey full of hurdles,” Nick Chan said. “Thanks to (Turlock’s) support, we persevered and are now proud to establish our second location here in Modesto.”
But opening a second restaurant came with even more hurdles. The family faced challenges with the county health department for two years before getting the green light, Chan said.
“From rewiring outdated electrical ground systems and addressing a grease trap that hadn’t been drained in over a decade, to correcting code violations left by previous tenants, we’ve completely remodeled the space to meet strict regulations,” he said.
Monday, Chan and his parents will get to show off the remodel — and their unusual menu — to Modesto. The restaurant’s soft opening, at 1801 H St., Suite A3, will be from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Originally called Terracotta Pub, Terracotta Poke Bowl serves Hawaiian, Asian and Mexican cuisines.
The name change came in 2020 based on customer recommendations and to better reflect the restaurant’s focus, Chan said.
Terracotta was Turlock’s first poke bowl place. Chan said he felt a poke restaurant was just what the town needed, and with his parent’s 20-year-long background in the restaurant industry, it “made sense” for them to start one together.
“Even when we lived overseas in Hong Kong, my grandparents and great-grandparents were also restaurateurs, so it felt natural to continue the family tradition,” he said.
At the Turlock restaurant, customers can order traditional Mexican foods like burritos, tacos, nachos and quesadillas. If that’s not what they’re craving, Asian options include fried rice, shrimp entrees, egg rolls and potstickers.
The restaurant also serves build-your-own poke bowls. And if you can’t decide what type of food you want, there are fusion options like poke burritos, poke tacos and poke bowls with meats like asada and chicken rather than raw seafood.
Additionally, Turlock customers can grab a cold beer to enjoy with their meal. Draft and bottled varieties are available at the restaurant at 3831 Crowell Road.
Why the unusual menu combination?
“It’s just all the food I loved in college,” the Chico State graduate told The Bee in 2019, when the first restaurant opened. “I just loved having a beer, watching sports, eating poke and Mexican food.”
However, the menu in Modesto will be slightly different. The restaurant is in the Smart and Final shopping center near Los Lagos Taqueria. With that, the family has decided to not offer the Mexican dishes that are on the menu in Turlock.
The meats — asada, pollo, pastor and barbecue pork — still will be options for the fusion poke bowls. Another difference: Beer will not be served in Modesto. “(Modesto) is a quick-service restaurant rather than a sit-down establishment,” Chan said. “I will aim to get more creative, adding or adjusting items to suit the new audience.”
Boba, which was introduced in Turlock around a month ago, will be on the menu in Modesto.
Chan’s parents will focus on managing the original restaurant while he takes the lead on the expansion.
“The second location is my opportunity to show them that I am fully capable of running the restaurant on my own, allowing them to finally retire and enjoy life after work,” he said.
The restaurant, off of H and 19th streets, will be open weekdays from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturdays from noon to 8 p.m.
