When Chef Daniel Bouza worked at Nobu Lana’I, he discovered Hawaiian-styled, Asian-inspired food like the poké bowl. He has combined that idea with bao (pillowy Asian steamed buns) in his new Miami restaurant, the aptly named PokéBao, slated to open this winter.

At Salt Traders Coastal Cooking, a restaurant in Round Rock, Texas, just outside of Austin, the $5 Bar Snacks menu is meant to get tables sharing. The restaurant owners Jack Gilmore and Tom Kamm were looking to relive their childhood days of hanging out at the beach and discovering iconic dishes and fishes from the Texas Gulf to Chesapeake Bay to New England.

The guacamole poké at Salt Traders Coastal Cooking resembles a trendy acai bowl, with layers of fish and sunflower seeds over a smooth base of creamy guacamole, served with chips on the side.

Chowda fries are something Gilmore calls “a classic New England chowder that we kick up a little bit.” Clams, leeks and bacon are bathed in a creamy broth on top of fries: A mash-up of clam chowder and poutine.

Another small plate at Salt Traders Coastal Cooking is Thai lettuce wraps with fried oysters tucked inside and guacamole poké.

“Small plates are really good because we’re in an iPhone world and our attention spans are getting smaller and smaller as time goes on,” said Brian Malarkey, Top Chef finalist, restaurateur at ChefDance, and owner of Herringbone: his seafood-focused restaurant with locations in Las Vegas and Santa Monica and La Jolla, Calif.       

Herringbone serves shareable small plates of eye-popping, sparkling-fresh seafood like whole-fish ceviche (branzino with citrus, Fresno chili and cilantro), tuna poké (with shoyu, Maui onions, Macadamia nuts and nori chips), yellowtail crudo (with truffle yuzu, crispy garlic and green onion) and ceviche tostada (with serrano chili, red onion, cilantro, lime, radish and guac) are making a splash.

Herringbone's whole-fish ceviche includes branzino with citrus, Fresno chili and cilantro.

Herringbone’s Salt & Brine Bar offers an impressive selection of raw oysters, king crab, Baja shrimp cocktail (with Clamato, avocado, tomato and saltines), and combo deals like the Dinghy, which will get the party started with four oysters, a quarter pound of Alaskan King crab, half a Maine lobster and two jumbo shrimp.

For those looking to dive deeper into seafood small plates, Malarkey advises a restrained touch with not much more than citrus and chilies as an accompaniment, allowing quality sourced finfish and shellfish to shine through unobstructed. “Be really delicate with raw seafood, and consider the texture and flavor of cooked seafood,” Malarkey said.