Poke Guys

Well curated ingredients for a quality poke bowl

Poke Guys was one of the first to jump on the poke fad when it hit Toronto in 2015. While other establishments have went bust, Poke Guys is still going strong because of two reasons: ingredients and location. Situated between the Financial District and the shopping zone around Yonge-Dundas Square, it gets a steady stream of customers all week. Of course, the food has to be good to get repeat business.

The poke bowl fad

Traditional Hawaiian poke is very simple. It is just marinated raw fish. The flavours aren’t too crazy. The usual suspects are shoyu (soy sauce), sesame, and seaweed. Poke morphed into a rice bowl on mainland USA and exploded in popularity in 2014. Since it really is a salad bowl, anything goes. There is a dizzying variety of toppings and proteins to choose from. Japanese ingredients are popular, like tobiko (fish roe) and gari (pickled ginger). Kimchi, avocado, and jalapeños are also ubiquitous.

Some people view poke as deconstructed sushi or a less skilled version of chirashi don (raw fish on rice). I view it as a food in its own right. I agree it doesn’t take a lot of training to put together a poke bowl. What it lacks in refinement more than makes up for it in creativity. The keys to a good poke bowl are

1. Freshness
2. Harmony
3. Proportion

Ideally, the fish should be fresh and not from frozen. Vegetables should be crisp. All components should complement one another. A common mistake is to have too many strong flavours like kimchi and onions. It overwhelms the delicate taste of raw fish. Another pet peeve of mine is having too much filler materials and not enough protein.

The food

Poke Guys offers a couple of tried-and-tested combinations. Customers then choose a base (white rice, brown rice, vegetables), garnishes (spring onions, fried shallots, etc.), and sauce. In my experience, the sauces don’t contribute much. The other ingredients in the bowl have a stronger flavour, so pick any sauce you want. It is also possible to customize the entire bowl from scratch.

I have tried everything on the menu, except for the vegetarian bowl. Vegetarian poke is an oxymoron. If you like strong flavours like me, skip the PG’s and Aloha bowl. All bowls have a good amount of protein and you won’t go wrong with any of the default configurations.

• Cali bowl
  Classic shoyu salmon and tuna, crab slaw, avocado, nori (seaweed)
  The most popular bowl. Probably because of the avocado that imbues creaminess. Also, two types of fish! Both are cut into perfect sized cubes and have a firm bite. Faint hint of soy sauce. Don’t expect much from the crab slaw as it is made from imitation crab stick.
  8/10
• Mauna Loa bowl
  Spicy shoyu salmon, spicy wakame (seaweed salad), jalapeños, spicy cucumbers, edamame (beans)
  Second-most popular and my favourite. Spicy everything. Even the wakame is a menacing red colour. Actually, the end result is not too spicy. It qualifies as a mild for me. With that much spice, there isn’t much salmon taste left. Go easy on the additional garnishes to avoid flavour clashes.
  8/10
• Wasabi octopus bowl
  Wasabi octopus, jalapeños, gari, grape tomatoes, edamame, wakame, nori
  This is an underrated bowl. Most diners go for raw fish instead. However, those who venture into other proteins will be rewarded with these little Q (springy) balls of baby octopus. The little tomatoes add textural complexity. Wasabi isn’t heavily applied. 30% more would have added the perfect kick.
  7.5/10
• PG’s bowl
  Classic shoyu salmon, gari, corn, edamame, wakame
  It’s a respectable bowl and a good introduction to classic poke. But it’s also boring compared to the other bowls.
  7/10
• Angry Shrimp 2.0 bowl
  Sweet and spicy (cooked) shrimp, kimchi, pineapples, corn
  This reminded me of a shrimp cocktail salad. The shrimp has that same texture. At least it was seasoned well. The other ingredients added just enough intrigue to lift it pass mediocrity.
  6.5/10
• Aloha bowl
  Honey ginger salmon, crab slaw, edamame, wakame
  These are all very mild ingredients. Good for focusing on the taste of salmon, but only if isn’t overwhelmed by garnishes and sauces. Ginger is discernible in the marinade but not honey.
  6.5/10

The place

Poke Guys is nestled in a side street that is an oasis from the busy arterial streets around it. Casual spot with only a couple of tables and 4 counter seats. Even before COVID-19, the main business is from takeout. Minimal decor and a functional place to dine in.

Verdict

Fresh ingredients, good proportions, and well-selected flavour combinations. 8/10.

Practical information

Name

Poke Guys

Rating

8/10

Recommended dishes

Cali bowl
Mauna loa bowl

Prices

All regular bowls: $14.13 ($12.50 excluding tax)
All large bowls: $17.80 ($15.75 excluding tax)

Address

112 Elizabeth Street, Unit 1

Hours

Monday to Sunday 1100h – 2100h

Date of visit

June 2020, July 2020