The Ultimate Guide To Poke Bowls

While poke has long been a treasured dish among Hawaiians, there has been a noticeable spike in poke's popularity in recent years across the world. Impressive standalone locations have been popping up, while regional mini chains are expanding, and some are blowing up into national franchises within the contiguous United States. And it's not just an American phenomenon — the poke diaspora is strong around the globe. There are international poke outposts across various countries, which just to name a few, include Mexico, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the United Arab Emirates.

The word "poke" roughly translates into "to cut" or "to slice". After a nice haul of fish, the traditional approach was to chop it into cubes, rub it with sea salt and top it with crunchy nuts and a flourish of seaweed. As Chinese and Japanese sailors introduced shoyu and sesame oil to the islands, poke evolved into what's generally found today.

Over the years, as poke's popularity has grown, it's become more than just fish and a drizzle of sauce. It also has a multitude of health benefits, so it's no wonder that it's become a trend. There are all kinds of proteins to consider. Many different types of dressings along with an assortment of vegetables, fruits, and all manner of salty, spicy, and crispy toppings abound. The amount of options can becoming overwhelming, so let's take a look at all the ways you can and should build the ultimate poke bowl.

One major reason to fall in love with poke is its convenience. Many poke places feature a relaxed fast casual setting, and most provide recommended menu combos to spare you some time and stress, but they are also happy to make you a custom bowl as you pass through the line and point at what looks good. Ordering a bowl of poke is often not unlike the experience as going to a Chipotle or a Subway — except in the instance of poke you can trust that you're getting 100% fish.

Quite a few locations offer various sizes of poke bowls defined by how many scoops of protein you want. A regular order will be two to three proteins, and a large order can go up to six — and you can mix and match as you please. Depending on the size of your appetite and personal ingredient preferences, this is a good option to split and save some money. Some places also offer party sized orders if you're hosting a big feast.

Poke bowls occupy rarefied air in the culinary spectrum. This is food that keeps you going for bite after bite after bite, fills your belly, and has many health benefits. A poke bowl order that goes beyond fish and rice that can easily cover the USDA's daily recommended food groups.

Starting with the protein, fish contains potent amounts of Omega-3 fatty acids, which are known to be beneficial for heart health. They aid in lowering triglycerides, blood clotting, and overall help guard against heart-related illnesses. You have tons of options as far as fibrous veggies and fruits that not only add extra vitamins, but provide a pop of color that will get your tummy rumbling. If your base is rice, you're covered with belly-filling carbs. For flavor, the top of a poke pyramid provides a conservative, not overly indulgent coat of sweet, salty, oily sauce that's just enough to make the underlying ingredients really shine.

Here's the downside to consider with poke, though, it's advised to not consume it on a regular basis. Due to the way the oceanic food chain works, larger fish unfortunately contain levels of mercury that make it a bit unwise to partake on the daily. Though in moderation, poke is a healthy meal that will help fill many of the recommended daily food group requirements.

White rice is arguably most eaters' knee-jerk preference for a poke bowl foundation. With its fluffy, absorbent qualities and warm, neutral flavors, it's a perfect base to soak up all the tasty notes coming from the goodies on top. Most poke places are going to go with glutinous white rice for its sticky texture, which is especially handy if you're using chopsticks. Brown rice is typically an option as well. Brown rice is higher in fiber, protein and Omega-3 fatty acids, but noticeably chewier and gummier in texture, and may overwhelm the main attraction in poke — the fish.

Lettuce is frequently an option for those looking to cut rice from their diet, and, in our experience, it's usually possible to do a blend of lettuce and rice if you want the best of both worlds. For those avoiding gluten but still want to get your grain on, it's unfortunately not too common to find the South American grain quinoa in poke establishments. You can try your hand at DIY-ing a quinoa poke bowl at home, though, obviously, this is not in any way traditionally Hawaiian.

If you don't know where to start with a poke bowl, you're going to want to put a laser focus on the tuna selections. Tuna is the requisite introduction to the magical world of poke.

Ahi tuna is found around the islands of Hawaii in the species of yellowfin and bigeye. Yellowfin tuna's name actually refers to the hue of its scales, not the ruby red flesh inside, and has delicate flavor notes that serve up well with any toppings you choose. Bigeye comes at a higher price point and you're better off seeking it out at sushi establishments as you're not likely to find it at poke restaurants. There's also typically the option of albacore tuna, which is a migratory species and found in oceans around the world, including the Pacific. If you like heat, ask for spicy tuna which tends to be a fiery mash of the fish blended with peppery sauces.

Salmon is not native to Hawaii, but remains a popular poke ingredient regardless. If you're squeamish around raw meat, but a big fan of seafood in general, meaty poke proteins extend to cooked shrimp, octopus, crab (imitation crab, more often than not) and occasionally you'll also come across squid.

There are so many ways to add sauce to a poke bowl that it may be hard to find a place to begin. But a simple shoyu and sesame oil combo is the classic way to go. The fusion of salty, subtly sweet notes of soy sauce mixed with the malty, toasty flavors that come from roasted sesame seeds results in a mouthwatering and viscous blend that pairs perfectly with fish.

For a kick of tang, opt for ponzu sauce to mix in with your poke. Beyond the soy sauce base, it also contains citrus fruit juice and rice vinegar for some gentle pucker. You might also discover some sweet notes if there's a splash of mirin in the recipe. If a creamier coating is more your speed, you'll find many places that offer aioli based dressings – generally a tasty way to add some calming balance to a spicy poke bowl.

Given the tender, chewy texture of poke and the pillowy cloud of rice in the foundation, it's only natural to look to nature for a bounty of vegetables to provide some much needed crunch to your bowl. Beyond the textural benefits, you're getting a ton of vitamins and minerals from all that produce. And it doesn't hurt that the more veggies you add, the more you'll encounter a bowl that's chock full of appetizingly colorful eye candy.

Start by pairing one ocean based treat with another and toss a scoop of shimmering seaweed salad onto your poke bowl, which will give it extra brine and sweetness. Bright green edamame peas and slices of scallions will add some additional snap. For root veggies, look toward red radishes, chartreuse pickled daikon, or matchstick snippets of bright orange carrot. Throw in some thin slices of purple cabbage, and you can really taste the rainbow. And, though they're a bland shade of white, you can't go wrong with bean sprouts if you want your poke bowl to have one more layer of crispy bite to it.

If you're a heat seeker when you're hungry, don't sweat it because poke bowls have you covered. From proteins to sauces to add-ins and toppings, you should have plenty of ways to crank up the dial on the Scoville scale when you're ordering poke.

A familiar staple with sushi roll takeout orders, a sizzling scoop of spicy tuna can also be ordered atop a poke bowl. Whether there's a definitive recipe for spicy tuna is up for debate, but it typically incorporates a blend of soy sauce and sesame oil — and it's up to the chef on how they want to get things lit. Sambal chilies, aji panca chilies, Sriracha sauce, and gochujang paste have been known to make appearances. To further bolster the experience of a deconstructed spicy tuna roll in a poke bowl, ask for wasabi paste and pickled ginger root on the side. We'd also recommend a tall glass of ice water on the side.

With vegetables, you can potentially pepper things up with slices of jalapeño or Serrano pepper. Some fusion spots also have a Korean influence and offer kimchi as an add-in to make your poke bowl just as heated as it is funky and fermented.

While adding fruit to fish might sound a bit strange, hear us out. Let's start by setting the record straight when it comes to avocados and cucumbers, which are incredible additions to a poke bowl, and are both in fact fruits. Avocados' inherent creaminess serves well to even out any strong piquant notes within your order, and we would particularly advise adding some crunchy toppings to balance out the texture. Cucumber's mildly sweet flavor, overall juiciness, and crunchy skin provide multiple benefits to your bowl. And both add a nice verdant hue to contrast pink red ahi.

For a stronger hit of sugar, you can generally find mango to top off your bowl — coming from Southeast Asia, it's no surprise that the fruit traveled across the Pacific and became popular in Hawaii. Pineapple is notoriously tied to Hawaii, but it's actually indigenous to South America and is typically found at poke chains. Lime wedges can also occasionally appear at the poke buffet if you want to add a zesty, sour squeeze of citrus to the top of your bowl. While these strong fruity flavors go well with all of the proteins at your poke station, we would recommend keeping them to small doses to let the fish be the star.

Poke bowls level up when you add some crunch. And although it may come across as counter intuitive, we recommend you look towards the water for some crispy toppings.

To start, there's masago, the neon orange minuscule bubbles of smelt roe that are not only photogenic, but also provide delightful bursts of brine with every bite. Keep an eye out for furikake at poke spots — it's an elegant blend of seasonings with dried seaweed being the most prominent ingredient, and all combined provides a sturdy boost of umami. If you're lucky, you might come across bonito flakes as a topping option at poke restaurants. Also known as Katsuobushi, these are razor thin shavings of tuna that have been smoked and dried. They may be small but pack a mighty punch of flavor.

If a total boatload of oceanic food isn't quite your speed, you can generally count on coming across crispy onions or fried garlic for some crunch. For fans of nuts and seeds, sesame seeds are commonly found at poke places. If you're extra lucky you might find crushed kukui – also known as the candlenut and the state tree of Hawaii — or macadamia nuts.

If you're craving a poke bowl, you don't need to break the bank on a trip to the Hawaiian islands — though the archipelago has tons of cuisine to try beyond poke and is a bucket list destination for any devout foodie. Within the contiguous United States, you will have access to legit poke virtually anywhere.

Southern California has many Sweetfin locations, which boast extensive and creative ingredient options, and they strive to serve fish that honors sustainability and responsible aquaculture. With its home base in Orlando, Florida, Island Fin Poke has locations all around the country and future plans to serve 15 states. Getting its start in Las Vegas, Nevada, in 2015, the rapid expansion of Pokeworks includes outposts that extend all the way out to Vermont. Just Poké has roots in the Pacific Northwest with many locations across the Seattle, Washington, metropolitan area. Finally, Poke Mahi has the Southeast corridor well covered, and Poke Bros has 79 spots around the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions.

If you're stuck on the Mainland and looking for poke destinations, one rule of thumb might be to seek out spots that can claim reliable ties to the islands. A married couple from Hawaii who relocated to Las Vegas, Nevada, are a great standard bearer of this model with the very well received Poke Express.

If you're a poke veteran and looking for new riffs on the dish, another path to pursue might be fusion poke that explores new and surprising flavor components. Take a glance at Ono Poke in Houston, Texas, which is more than happy to top off your poke bowl with crushed Hot Cheetos or drizzle it with truffle oil. Or, in the case of Atlanta, Georgia, based Poke Burri where they literally wrap up the meal in a brand new package in the form of a burrito.

You can also place some trust in the consensus of those who have actually sampled the goods. Take Pisces Poke & Ramen in Los Angeles, for example, and have faith in the overwhelmingly positive feedback from over one thousand Yelpers, which placed it on the platform's top 100 places to eat in 2020.

You've made it to the source. It took some time, but you're on one of the resplendent islands of Hawaii, and now firmly within the epicenter of poke paradise.

There is a bit of irony in the fact that for all the time and effort it took you to get here, some of the best poke bowls on the planet can be found at gas stations and grocery stores mere feet away from cereal boxes and canned tomatoes. Sitting on top of the throne is Foodland – it's a can't-miss, must stop for any poke lover and locations can be found on the Big Island, Maui, Oahu, and Kauai. We can only speak to anecdotal evidence, but those we know who were born and raised on the islands swear up and down by Foodland.

If you're island hopping, you have a lot of options. But if you're contained to one particular locale, we would recommend Da Poke Shack on the Big Island, Fresh Catch on Oahu, South Maui Fish Co. on Maui, and Kauai Poke Co. on Kauai.