Vibrant, colourful, and healthy, it’s easy to see why poké (pronounced as poh-keh) bowls have been taking over our social media feeds lately. Dubbed the “deconstructed sushi”, poké bowls are low in calories, high in protein, and filled with Omega-3.
Hailing from the sunny island of Hawaii, the dish is a major dining trend in London, New York, Los Angeles, Japan, Philippines, and most recently, Malaysia. A poké bowl is basically rice topped with cubed raw fish (typically salmon or tuna) and other Asian-inspired condiments such as soy sauce, sesame oil, seaweed, as well as fresh vegetables. Not only are poké bowls delicious, but it’s also incredibly versatile – you can add whatever ingredients you like.
Here’s a list of poké shops (and no, we’re not referring to Pokémon centres) to get your poké cravings fix:
1. Se-rice @ Puchong
With the idea of “se-mangkuk” (which means one bowl in Bahasa Malaysia), Se-rice describes their poké bowls as “nasi campur mat salleh”. Aside from the usual salmon and tuna, this hassle-free eatery features other proteins such as smoke duck, chicken, tofu, and beans. The shop also offers 27 tasty toppings and 8 mouth-watering sauces.
Note: Se-rice recently opened a new outlet in Jaya 33, Petaling Jaya.
- Address: 2-1, Jalan Merbah 1, Bandar Puchong Jaya, 47100 Puchong
- Opening Hours: 11am – 9pm
- Tel: 03-8080 5217
2. Paperfish @ TTDI
Paperfish is no origami classroom; it’s a sanctuary for healthy foodies! Founded by former Fly FM radio announcer and popular dancer Dennis Yin, this fairly new food joint merges Malaysian flavours and spices into the Hawaiian/Japanese-inspired delicacy, making it more appealing to local taste buds. If you don’t know what to order, we suggest that you give their Umami Shoyu salmon poké bowl a try. You can hardly go wrong with the classic, right?
- Address: 26, Jalan Datuk Sulaiman TTDI, 60000 Kuala Lumpur
- Opening Hours: 10am – 10pm
- Contact: hello@paperfish.com.my
- Facebook | Instagram
3. The Fish Bowl Poké Shop @ Bandar Sunway
As one of the first few authentic poké bowl shops in Malaysia, The Fish Bowl Poké Shop in Bandar Sunway boasts high standards of ingredients and service. From the types of base (brown rice, white rice, and baby greens) to the varieties of marinated protein (salmon, tuna, and shrimp), to the specially-crafted sauces (shoyu mix, lime aioli, garlic, and spicy Sriracha), everything is prepared with the utmost care and consistency. Don’t like seafood? Fret not, because they recently added chicken honey herbs into their menu.
- Address: 77, Jalan PJS11/9, Bandar Sunway, 47500 Petaling Jaya
- Opening Hours: 10:30am – 10pm
- Facebook | Instagram
4. Eatomo Food Co @ Taman Desa
Eatomo Food Co is a stylish neighbourhood joint that offers fresh imported seafood and meat dishes at affordable prices – be it Belgian mussels or Hokkaido sea urchin. If you’re looking for a little spicy kick, our recommendation will be the ever-popular California poké bowl. Topped with tuna, butter fish, salmon trouts, guacamole, masago (processed fish eggs), and spicy mayo, a bed of warm calrose rice is used as the base of the dish. Hmmm, writing this makes us feel hungry already ?
- Address: 11-1-1 Jalan 3/109F, Taman Danau Desa, 58100 Kuala Lumpur
- Opening Hours: 12pm – 3pm, 6pm – 10:30pm
- Tel: 03-2303 1608
- Facebook | Instagram
5. Rubberduck @ Desa Sri Hartamas
With coffee supplied by Three Little Birds and fresh salmon from The Fat Fish, Rubberduck is the perfect place to be for both good coffee and a healthy poké bowl made up of specially marinated salmon sashimi, cucumber sesame salad, and crunchy vegetables. The cafe also has an array of desserts that will satisfy any sweet tooth.
- Address: K-06, Plaza Damas, Jalan Sri Hartamas 1, 50480 Kuala Lumpur
- Opening Hours: 8am – 8pm (Monday to Friday), 8am – 6pm (Saturday and Sunday)
- Tel: 03-2061832
Located on the 1st floor of Capital Square, Puchong, Sushi + Rotary Sushi Bar is a casual dining place that serves a wide range of fresh sushi and delectable Japanese dishes such as udon, ramen, don (rice bowls), bento (lunch box), and nabe (hot pot). The restaurant’s poké bowls come in 2 variations – salmon poké bowl and Aloha poké bowl. While the former is served with salmon, edamame beans, and wakame (seaweed salad), the latter comes with fresh salmon, tuna, avocado, and more.
- Address: 1F-01, Puchong Capital Square, Jalan Kenari 19, 47100 Puchong (above OLDTOWN and Moonlight)
- Opening Hours: 11am – 10:30pm
- Tel: 012-289 2777
- Facebook | Instagram
7. Mei by Fat Spoon @ Desa Sri Hartamas
Mei by Fat Spoon, the sister restaurant to Fat Spoon in Uptown Damansara, serves hearty, Japanese-inspired meals and comfort food that will have you wanting more. The shop specialises in scrumptious rice bowls and our favourite is none other than the salmon, avocado, and ikura bowl! But if you’re not into raw fish, other customer favourites also include the fried lemongrass chicken poppers rice bowl, ox tongue rice bowl, and Mentaiko spaghettini.
- Address: 22G, Jalan 27/70A, Desa Sri Hartamas, 50480 Kuala Lumpur
- Opening Hours: 11am – 10pm
- Contact: fatspooncafe@gmail.com
- Facebook | Instagram
Did we miss out on any other poké goodness? If you know of any restaurants or cafes that serve poké bowls, drop us a note in the comments below ?
For more healthy eating options, check out our previous articles on healthy food delivery services and cold-pressed juices/salad-in-a-bottle.
Featured image: The Fish Bowl Poké Shop’s Instagram.
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