The unstoppable rise of ‘bowl food’

Poke House last week opened four new restaurant sites in London. It is just the start of a fishy influx with the Californian-inspired poke bowl chain planning to open 15 London sites and 65 UK sites over the next year.

It is little surprise; where West Coast America goes London soon follows. But the huge popularity of poke bowls has been entrenched for several years. In 2015 the LAist publication was already writing that 'The Poke Bowl Craze Is Getting Out Of Hand'. Six years on, poke’s staying power seems beyond doubt.

Poke, for the uninitiated, means 'to slice or cut' in Hawaiian and consists of pieces of raw, marinated fish – usually tuna – that is tossed over rice and topped with vegetables and various vaguely-Asian sauces. It is served in a bowl, which is an essential part of its appeal. You see, today’s consumers seem to take particular pleasure in eating out of bowls rather than plates. 'Bowl food' extends not just to poke bowls, but also acai bowls, smoothie bowls, Buddha bowls, burrito bowls and more. Harry and Meghan made headlines at their nuptials for eschewing the traditional seated wedding breakfast and instead serving fashionable bowl food to standing guests. There has been a profusion of cookbooks and celebrity endorsements of the concept. In the eyes of its admirers, bowl eating not only signifies a more modern, informal approach to dining, but is well suited to the 'fast-casual' demand for things that can be eaten on the go.

Poke’s popularity above all though appears to stem from its healthy credentials. Bread and red meat are out, rice and fish is in (poke seems so far to have weathered the Seaspiracy storm, although questions have been asked about the sustainability of aki, the star of most poke bowls, which refers to yellowfin or bigeye tuna). Poke bowls have plenty of veg, although the claggy mayo-based sauces sometimes make it only as healthy as an American-sized Caesar salad.

Sushi is as entrenched a worktime lunch option as a Pret sandwich and poke shares many of sushi’s virtues. It is also (slightly) more wallet-friendly especially if you have a hefty appetite.

My problem with poke is the insufferable Californification of the whole eating experience. Poke House promises that each of its restaurants 'transports guests to California for an endless Summer, courtesy of a multisensory experience'. They go on: 'Every instagrammable UK House is filled with Cali-House music, exotic pastel décor, San Diego art, cacti, LA street art neon lights'. It is not enough for takeaway joints to be clean and aesthetically-pleasing in today’s world. 'Instagrammable' is the ticket.

As for the food, it hardly needs saying that the Californian version of poke often bears little resemblance to the authentic Hawaiian dish. Some bowls replace the fish with chicken or tofu. The white sushi rice can become tricolour quinoa. In fact the chain boasts that there are over 'a million combinations available'. Apart from the dubious mathematics, one has to ask why one would ever want or need such vast choice. Shorter menus are always better menus. It is not Poke House’s style.

As with sushi, there is much to be said for making your own at home: poke done right is fundamentally a nice dish. For the base (which is optional, it can alternatively be served simply as marinated fish) it is hard to beat sushi rice. For the topping, stick to tuna, octopus or perhaps salmon and make sure is incredibly fresh and sushi-grade. For the veg, think crunchy and raw: spring onion, carrot, red cabbage, cucumber, even perhaps green papaya. Then add some extra bits: avocado, seeds/nuts, fresh herbs, and flaky sea salt. For the sauce, try something either citrusy and vibrant (pomelo, grapefruit, ponzu or just lots of lime emulsified with a little soy sauce, a flavourless oil and a little sesame oil), or something creamy (a bit of Sriracha combined with mayo, or yoghurt blended with fresh coriander). It will give you something resembling the Hawaiian taste without the notorious Californian soul.