How to Build a Poke Bowl (2024)

Rodelio Aglibot grew up on the island of Oahu and went on to run the kitchens at Los Angeles’s Yi Cuisine (where we was also owner) and Koi, as well as Sunda in Chicago. He’s now at the helm of FireFin, where he brings island-style meals-in-bowls to the Windy City masses.

Poke (pronounced “poh-kay”) means “to cut” in Hawaiian. Traditionally it’s made with the cheaper part of a firm fish, like the head or tail, diced into thick cubes. Back in the day it was usually ahi (tuna) or tombo (Hawaiian albacore). As a kid, visiting relatives in rural areas on Oahu, locals would sell plastic tubs of it out of coolers along dirt roads. It’s casual. If you had rice, you’d eat it with rice. At home my dad would have it with beer. Most of the poke of my childhood was mixed with sweet onions, shoyu, and chile pepper water. Often there were ogo (seaweed) and inamona, a waxy ingredient from the shell of kukui nuts, which gave it an earthy taste.

There’s no right or wrong when it comes to poke. I remember sometimes having it with scallions and ginger—and I see that in recipes today. Most of us think our own poke is the best. It’s human nature. In Hawaiian grocery stores, where most people get theirs on the island, now you’ll find it with mayonnaise, Korean-inspired chili sauces, and miso. At FireFin, you can get salmon, tofu, even chicken poke. Traditionalists might cringe, and I get that. But to me, taking a style of cooking and adding a spin to it is what chefs and creative people do. We’re making a dish we love and offering it in a way that brings attention to our culture.

To me, that’s sharing. That’s the spirit of aloha.

As told to Joanne Chen

Here's how to riff on poke at home:

The Hawaiian roadside snack has morphed into an explosion of fast-casual spots selling mix-and-match poke bowls, from Wanderfish Poke in Seattle to PokeOno outside Philly. These creations play fast and loose with the traditional varieties—but that doesn’t make the results less tasty. Food Editor Andy Baraghani has four steps for doing poke bowls at home.

1. Choose a base:

Brown rice, coconut jasmine rice, white sushi rice, soba noodles, or leafy greens

2. Choose a protein:

The foundation of poke is best-quality fresh raw fish. Cut the fillet lengthwise, working against the grain, into ½" strips. Then cut the strips crosswise into ½" pieces. If you can’t get stellar fish, tofu or cooked shrimp are good alts. We like ahi tuna, fluke, hamachi, salmon, tofu, or shrimp.

3. Choose a dressing:

The fattier and firmer the fish, the more aggressive the dressing can be. Delicately flavored fish, like fluke, should be dressed simply. Ponzu, shoyu, gochujang, and spicy black bean paste are great bases to work with.

4. Add the fun stuff:

Hit at least three of these categories to achieve textural contrast, depth, and balance.
Fresh Fruits & Veg: Sliced avocado, bean sprouts, shelled edamame, or shaved radish
Nuts, Seeds & Spices: Macadamia nuts, skin-on roasted peanuts, toasted sesame seeds, shichimi togarashi, or gochugaru
A Dose of Heat: Crushed wasabi peas, grated Serrano chiles, red Fresno chiles (thinly sliced), or Jalapeños (thinly sliced)
Alliums: Scallions (thinly sliced), sweet onion (finely chopped), garlic chips, or fried shallots
Pickles: Pickled ginger, shiitake mushrooms, red onions, or cucumber

Now that you know the basics, here are five poke-inspired bowls we love: