The Best Spots to Sample Singapore’s Poké Craze

Check out our restaurant guru’s top poké picks all over Singapore. Get ready for a healthy dose of Omega-3s, mama!

Okidokie have you had enough of Poké? We hope not, as the poké (pronounced poh-keh) trend sees no sign of abating. Here we round up nine poké spots from different areas around town. Because you never know when a craving might strike.

As a super quick primer for the uninitiated (where have you been living? In a cave?!), poké is a Hawaiian-style seasoned sashimi rice bowl. Usually featuring super-fresh and colourful sashimi-grade fish like tuna or salmon, it’s a light and healthy meal typically topped with Asian-inspired sauces and seasonings (wasabi, seaweed, what have you). Of course, such a colourful cornucopia leaves plenty of room for creativity, which brings us to our fave sports for poké in Singapore…

A Poké Theory – many outlets

A Poké Theory does glam poke bowls with bases from sushi rice, to trendy gluten-free lemon herb quinoa then a layer of tuna or salmon in different sauces (like the avocado miso sauce made creamy with Greek yogurt). Add on the pineapple, tomatoes, cucumber, carrot and edamame then go gourmet with extra charge toppings: BBQ corn (a must try), crispy kale chips, crackling salmon skin and a sweet nut mix.

How much: The aforementioned lemon bowl comes in at $11.50 (sushi rice)/$12.50 (quinoa) for 100 grams or $15/$16.50 for 150grams. We like the free sauce bar (basically load up on extra nom nom of heat roaring spicy garlic sesame sauce, fried shallots and more). To drink try the homemade lemonade or sugar-free teas from T2. And those with a sweet tooth should try the superfood smoothie bowls ($6). There’s currently a choice of four flavours made from a base of frozen bananas and soy milk, then flavoured with berries, maca or Raw cacao and topped with trendy superfood ingredients like raw cacao nibs, blueberries, quinoa puffs and dark chocolate drizzle.

A Poké Theory, 27 Boon Tat Street, Singapore 069623, More outlets online, www.poketheory.com.sg 

Loloku – Keong Saik

Loloku is an order-at-the-counter poké bar with seating at the spacious tropical sister restaurant Don Ho. For poké, there are five bowls featuring the normal tuna and salmon chunks plus there’s a tofu, hamachi (yellow tail) and wagyu beef option, too, which scores points on variety. Putting Hamachi on the poké menu is inspired as most places only offer the standard salmon and tuna so this we double like!

How much: We tucked into a tasty bowl of The Ono Hamachi ($16/$18 M/L) of Hamachi, Kumbu rice, edamame, seaweed salad, pickled ginger, tobiko and ponzu wasabi sauce. The Wikiwiki Salmon ($14/$16) is another favourite of salmon, brown quinoa and Kumbu rice mix, umami kimchi, crunchy almonds, avocado and a lick spice from jalapeño slices and chipotle mayo. You can also customise your own bowl if you are feeling chef-y, starting with a protein and then building on a choice of carbs and sides, plus the option of adding “pimped up” ingredients of slow cooked egg ($+2) and pomegranate ($+1). For drinks, fancy craft beers, wines, coffee by Sarnies or the thirst quenching homemade pineapple soda at a wallet friendly $3.

Loloku, 1 Keong Saik Road, Singapore 089109, Tel: (+65) 62235001, www.facebook.com/lolokusg

Poké Doke – Millenia Walk

Poké Doke is doing the raw fish salad thing for the CBD crowd nearby. The shop is small, but there is seating to eat your poké bowl including a long counter decked out with sand and shells beneath the glass table. Poké Doke offers brown rice, white rice or soba noodles plus a choice of cubed raw Ahi Tuna, Norwegian Salmon and the veggie Shitake Tofu in a variety of sauces (wasabi mayo, a spicy sauce, shoyu, citrus and sesame sauce) plus usual toppings like pineapple, edamame, tomatoes, seaweed, and other interesting extras (at $1.50) of onsen egg, jellyfish and crispy fish skin.

How much: Bowls range from $12.50 to a medium at $14.90 and large for $18.90 (here the actual bowl size remains the same, but the fish portion increases from one scoop up to three). Pre-designed bowls include the Poke Doke Signature ($14) of white and brown rice, salad, original salmon poke, onsen egg, sweet pineapple, edamame, salty flying fish roe and crunchy almonds. There is a soup of the day ($2.90) and to quench your thirst, coconut water ($4.90).

Poke Doke, Millenia Walk,  Raffles Boulevard #01-95, SINGAPORE 039596, Tel: (+65) 91819140, www.pokedoke.sg

Makai Poké – Tanjong Pagar

Makai Poké takes inspiration from the Hawaiian word “Makai” – meaning ‘towards the ocean’ – with their sustainably caught fish.

How much: Bowls are more affordable then some at $9.90, which includes a choice of rice or salad, a choice of marinated salmon or tuna plus a good variety of toppings of avocado, Japanese cucumber, carrots, cherry tomatoes, salmon roe, and pineapple (tinned not fresh and then grilled slightly) and the option to add on some ‘superfoods’(Pomegranate, Chia seeds, Edamame, Goji Berries $1 each). For drinks, a choice of brewed tea in yuzu or passion fruit $2 plus tetra packs of coconut water.

Makai Poke, #B1-08, Tanjong Pagar Centre, 7 Wallich Street, Singapore 078884, www.facebook.com/makaipokesg

Alter Ego – Esplanade

A Poké Theory’s sister outlet on the external ground floor of Esplanade is Alter Ego. There’s a menu dedicated to ‘unhealthy eats’ (think cheesy-melty-fried-awesomeness) or the healthy pre-set poké bowls.

How much: Try the Original Poké Shaker ($16) of shoyo salmon on sushi rice with lime avocado and alafalfa sprouts, or the Vegan Green Goddess ($13) of avocado on brown rice.

Alter Ego, Esplanade Mall, #01-13D, 8 Raffles Avenue, Singapore, Tel: (+65) 6327 9301, www.alterego.sg

Aloha Poké – Amoy Street, MBFC and Raffles Place

One of the first spots to pump out poké, Aloha Poké serves up salad rice bowls  with raw tuna and salmon (in Original, Wasabi Mayo and Spicy dressings), plus an array of toppings from jalapeno to edamame and superfoods like chia and pomegranate to avocado, nuts and kale ($1 extra). It’s super tasty and healthy to boot: we love the spicy dressing-drenched chunks of fish complemented by sweet pineapple, toasted sesame seeds and scallions. Decked up in coastal whites and blues, it’s set up to order-and-go (call ahead to pre-order), but if you want to dine in there are some seats available.

How much: Salad rice bowls range from $11.90 for a Small to $19.90 for a Large. Toppings are $1 extra, each. Don’t miss their mighty fine Cocoloco coconut water $5.90 – some of the tastiest coconut juice we’ve tried outside of a coconut shell, plus Hawaiian-inspired cocktails at the new Tiki Bar.

Aloha Poké, 92 Amoy Street, Tel: (+65) 62216565, Marina Bay Link Mall, 8A Marina Boulevard, B2-46, Tel: (+65) 6634-0730; Change Alley, Chevron House, 30 Raffles Place, 01-34, Tel: (+65) 6533-080192, www.alohapoke.com.sg

Sweetfish Poké – Capitol Piazza

Choose from 5 signature bowls  in an array of flavoured sauces (added on at the time of ordering) including Roasted Sesame, Sweet Yuzu Cream and Kimchi.  Bases here include Japanese rice, red brown rice mix, or lettuce and toppings range from mangoes, walnuts and Japanese cucumber to octopus while the sashimi on offer is mainly tuna and salmon.

How much: Signature bowls run from $9 for a small with 150 grams of fish, to $14 for a large with a whopping 300 grams fish.

Sweetfish Poké, 13 Stamford Road, Capitol Piazza #B2-30, Singapore 178905, www.sweetfish-poke.com

My favourite poké is a toss up. On the one hand, at A Poké Theory I love the option of lemony quinoa as a base, and I’m a big fan of the mayo-free creamy Avocado Miso Salmon, plus I love the gourmet toppings of BBQ corn and spiced cashews — so much attention to detail! But newcomer Loloku has something pretty good going with Hamachi (yellowtail) on the protein menu so it’s a tough choice — plus their tropical digs on Keong Saik Road make for a charming lunch stop!