Ahi Poké – Review

Hawaiian Food in London – Ahi Poké:

I love investigating different food cultures so when the invitation came to review Ahi Poké – a new, casual all-day restaurant serving Hawaiian raw fish salad bowls – it was a no-brainer. Poké is a Hawaiian culinary staple consisting of raw, chopped and marinated Ahi tuna, topped with rice and vegetables that developed in the 1920s as an outcome of mass Japanese emigration to Hawaii bringing about a fusion of Japanese gastronomy with South Pacific produce.  If you didn’t know that you really should catch-up – apparently there is a poké scene that is all the rage in LA and now it’s here.  Catherine and I both chose one of the signature bowls. The Oahu (rice, Ahi tuna, red onion, radish, coriander and sesame shoyu sauce) and the Heat Wave (quinoa, salmon, avocado, kimchee cucumber, red onion and sriracha mayo (priced at £7.95 and £8.45 respectively. The fish and vegetable elements were deliciously fresh and both bowls had plenty of flavour and textural interest with the Oahu being sweeter and the Heat Wave fierier. However if you so wish you can build your own custom bowl by selecting a  base (quinoa, rice, udon noodles or kale), a protein (Ahi tuna, salmon, shrimps or marinated mushrooms), a sauce (sesame shoyu, sweet ponzu, leche de tigre or spicy mayo), as well as a selection of toppings including avocado, spiced cashew nuts, wasabi peas.We tried a lovely coconut and raspberry soft-serve ice-cream for dessert which was possibly healthier than it tasted.You have the option of getting a takeaway but if you want to eat in the 25 cover restaurant is a bright and cheerful space that reflects the sustainable ethos of the brand –  I do wish that they had a loo though…! For a healthy lunch or light supper, Ahi Poké offers a good value alternative to the ubiquitous tapas bars and burger joints and is worth a visit. Aloha!

Ahi Poké
3 Percy St,
Fitzrovia,
London, W1T 1DF