Next level sushi: 6 fresh Poke spots to try this summer

Poke (pronounced ‘poh-kay’) bowls are fresh, colourful feasts sure to have everyone smiling this summer.

Sunshine on a plate. Photo by Tyson Jopson.

Poke is a Hawaiian surfer/street food traditionally made with raw tuna cubes, seaweed, soy sauce and rice, and has rapidly spread around the globe, with each culture adding its own tastes to the mix. Basically, it’s lazy sushi and now it’s in South Africa too. It’s not limited to raw fish, (cooked) chicken and beef is available too. This is casual food that’s gorgeous, textured, surprisingly filling and over-delivers on taste. Expect to pay around R60 to R120.

Poke restaurants in Johannesburg

1. ONO Eatery

Address: Corlett Drive in Illovo Junction

Hours: Open at 7:30, weekly

Tel: 0735063207

Colourful and healthy meals? Yes please. Image by ONO Eatery

ONO Eatery is the new kid on the block in Sandton. The meals served at this eatery are colourful and exceptionally healthy. You have hearty options for breakfast, lunch and dinner, plus the option to build your own fresh poke bowl. Their best seller is the Prawn Sriracha Poke Bowl. This magical bowl comes with prawns, slaw, seasonal salsa, pickles, sweet peppers, sliced radish, avo and yuzu salad dressing.

2. Momo Soko

Address: 198 Oxford Road, Illovo

Hours: Tuesday to Sunday from 11:00

Tel: 0112686182

Expect fresh vibrant ingredients like Norwegian Salmon, edamame, pickled ginger and shitake, avocado, ramen egg, yello daikon, kale, spring onion, Asian slaw, fried garlic, red onion, wakame seaweed, toasted sesame and ginger scallion drizzle at Momo Soko. Photo by Angie Batis

‘Momo Soko‘ means ‘more food please’ and this spot in Joburg will definitely leave you wanting exactly that. The owners of Momo Bauhaus in Greenside decided to create a space with a modern Asian feel in the Muse Centre in Illovo. Momo Soko has a menu of bao buns, skewers, poke bowls and tapas too. Their best seller bowls sound amazing with Norwegian salmon, pickles, slaws, kale, seaweed and some salad dressing. There is also no liquor licence so bring your own (corkage is free). Read a full review on Momo Soko here.

3. Sushi Burrito & Co.

Address: 10 Crescent Drive, Birnam, Melrose Arch

Hours: Monday to Sunday from 11:00

Tel: 0649281031

A Sashimi Salad creation from Sushi Burrito & Co. Image by Sushi Burrito & Co.

Sushi Burrito & Co. offers a brand new concept when it comes to food. The new restaurant based in Melrose prides itself on a new novelty offering that combines Asian and Latin flavours – the sushi burrito. The menu ranges from sushi burrito’s, poke bowls, tapas, rice and noodle bowls. The poke bowls are served with a rice or a fresh salad and the Sashimi Salad will definitely grab your attention: it consists if prawn, caviar, salmon, wakame, cucumber spaghetti, beetroot spaghetti, ponzu sauce served with brown rice or mixed greens.

Poke restaurants in Cape Town

4. Three Wise Monkeys

Address: 77 Regent Road, Seapoint

Hours: Monday to Saturday from 12:00

Tel: 0214331837

Fresh poke, soya sauce and seared fish make for a great combination at Three Wise Monkeys.

Love Ramen and sushi? Three Wise Monkeys is a Japanese restaurant that offers a variety of ramen, kushiyaki, sushi and our good old favourite, poke bowls. If you are a Seapoint local or visit the area often, why not try out their tuna, salmon, edamame beans, vegetables with a firecracker mayonnaise? The mayonnaise is not for the faint hearted…

5. Hokey Poke Bar and Take Away

Address: 1 Church Street

Hours: Monday to Saturday from 12:00

Tel:  0214224382

Fresh, simple and filling. Image by Tyson Jopson

The Hokey Poke Bar and Take Away is the first of its kind in Cape Town and has grown since it first made its way to the city – now you can also find them at the MOJO Market in Seapoint. Both offer a small menu of set dishes, for those who need to get their head around this new taste sensation, but you can also ‘build your own bowl’. For example, mix shredded seaweed, edamame, pickled beetroot, sprouts, avo, fruit and, for a little added crunch, crispy noodles, crushed nachos or salmon crackling.

The number three poke bowl which consists of pickled ginger, tuna, avo, crispy onion, furikake seasoning and seasonal fruit (nectarine for this season) is the tasty bowl customers most often return for.

6. Manga

Address: Corner Rothesay and Beach Road in Moulie Point

Hours: Monday to Friday from 10:00 and from 8:00 on a weekend

Tel: 0212022720

Poke is a quick and easy dinner that’s exceptionally tasty, like this bright bowl from Manga.

The Manga Restaurant is on the Mouille Point Promenade overlooking the ocean. The name Manga, refers to a style of a Japanese comic book and the menu includes sushi tacos, pork wontons and beef potstickers as well as poke. Word on the street is that their best seller is the Crazy Salmon Roll – eight pieces of marinated salmon and avocado that’s seared to deliciousness.

Tried Poke yet? Tell us which is the best.