Poke — or marinated raw seafood, Hawaiian-style — is officially a trend in Hong Kong (not to mention the rest of the world). Here are the top places to go for Hawaiian poke in Hong Kong:
The Poké Co.
Newcomer The Poké Co. offers healthy seafood bowls like tuna with kale and leafy greens; creamy salmon with quinoa; as well as non-seafood alternatives like smoked chicken or tofu with zucchini noodles — all designed by Hawaiian native Rodelio Aglibot. The base marinades are equally creative: take your pick of Hong Kong-style XO sauce, Vietnamese fish sauce, Korean chili sauce and more. The poke is served with white or brown rice, but there are also carb-free options available.
Shop 2, G/F, Rialto Building, 2 Landale Street, Wan Chai, 3705-1782.
Aloha
Aloha is backed by two big names in the F&B world: Erik Idos (Chino) and Lindsay Jang (Yardbird). The modest-sized shop in Quarry Bay specializes in beautifully garnished poke bowls with a Japanese twist: think tuna with soy sauce; salmon with yuzu miso; or yellowtail with pickled wasabi. Bonus: the marinades are all house-made to match.
G/F, 20 Hoi Kwong Street, Quarry Bay.
Pokéworld
The poke at Pokéworld is served as rice bowls, salads or rice-filled burritos and is very much a DIY affair. Pick from a selection of seafood like tuna, salmon, octopus or cooked prawns; then choose extra toppings like seaweed or edamame. Finally, decide on a sauce (think Japanese-y options like wasabi mayo or sesame vinegar) to go along.
G/F, 8 Hillier Street, Sheung Wan, 2811-2115.
Pololi
No poke list is complete without Pololi, the shop that started it all in Hong Kong. Now with three branches across the city as well as one in Singapore, Pololi was founded by Singaporean investment banker-turned-entrepreneur Stephanie Kudus. The menu at Pololi is simple: you either go ahi (tuna) or non-ahi (everything else). There are about a dozen ways you can have your ahi, including a Hong Kong-style five-spice soy sauce marinade, or a California-style spicy mayo made with Huy Fong sriracha. Enjoy your poke bowl with rice, salad, or both.
Three branches, including 313 Queen’s Road Central, Sheung Wan.
POKE HK
Tuna or salmon? These are your main options at POKE HK, where the poke rice bowls come with your fish of choice and a set trio of accompaniments like crabstick/edamame/scallion or fish roe (tobiko)/seaweed/onion. The marinades are different depending on your fish and accompaniments: think dashi sauce for tuna or a simple vinaigrette to go with the salmon.
G/F, 124 Leighton Road, Causeway Bay, 5986-6398.
