I’m not ashamed to admit I’m a tad late to the poké game: exactly nine months late. But hey, who’s counting? All that matters is that I’ve finally discovered poké in London – and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t hooked on this tasty Hawaiian salad bowl, big time. In fact, I don’t think a week’s gone by where I haven’t tucked into a bowl on my lunch break (thanks to a very timely invitation from the guys at Hone Poké on Dean Street). So here are three reasons why you need to get involved with this foodie trend, asap:
Poké is life – fact
Sure, there’s many other things that sustain us on a daily basis – like water and oxygen – but there’s just something about poké that feels like you could eat it for the rest of your days and die quite happily, knowing it was part of your diet. It’s that good.
It’s better than sushi
To break it down, poké is like a combination of all the best bits of sushi with some added extras to become a super salad of all things right in the world. Some call it a natural progression from sushi, and I can see that. Except the marinated raw fish is a very big deal in poké. Now I totally appreciate some of y’all might freak out at the idea of raw fish, but it’s so expertly prepared you’ve got nothing to worry about (and FYI, raw fish in the UK has to to be frozen to death – literally – thanks to EU freezing laws to ensure it’s not dodgy).
There are a few places where you can try poké in London
I had my very first poké bowl from Tombo on D’Arblay Street in Soho. They do a lovely classic one made with salmon or tuna, sesame soy, edamame beans, onions and nori (from £6.95 to takeaway – poké aint cheap y’all!). Or if you want something a bit fancier or made up to your tastes, Honi Poke on Dean Street is a really good shout. I’ve also heard good things about Ahi Poké in Fitzrovia (and they’re planning on opening another branch in Victoria).
Have you tried poké yet? Let me know in the comments!