In Hawaii, poke is a snack (a pupu), sold by weight at the fish counter, and the fish is nearly all of it. A “poke bowl” there just means poke over hot rice. The mainland bowl is a different build: a meal of rice, fish, and toppings in about equal measure, with sauce over the top. Wikipedia notes that most poke bowls outside Hawaii are closer to Korean hoe-deopbap than to Hawaiian poke (Wikipedia).
The variables
- Ratio. As a pupu, the fish is 80–90% of the dish. As a mainland bowl, about 1 part rice to 1 part fish to 1 part fresh toppings, by volume.
1Rice
1Fish
1Toppings
- Rice. Short-grain white rice, warm or at room temperature. Either plain or seasoned works; I usually season it, as sushi rice (with vinegar and sugar).
- Toppings. Avocado for creaminess, cucumber for crispness, edamame, pickled ginger, seaweed salad.
- Sauce. A bowl takes a second sauce over the top (more shoyuShoyuJapanese soy sauce, brewed from soybeans and wheat. dressing, or spicy mayo), since the rice and toppings aren’t seasoned.
Options
| Option | Pick it when | Changes |
|---|---|---|
| Pupu, on its own | A snack or a starter | All fish; toothpicks or chopsticks |
| Over hot rice | A quick island-style meal | Poke as it is, on plain rice |
| With salad | A lighter meal | Poke beside dressed greens or a slaw |
| Mainland bowl (1:1:1) | Dinner | Rice, fish, and toppings in equal parts, sauced |
Recipes
Pickled ginger (gari) for the bowl. Simple rice bowls and Tuna rice bowl build the same kind of bowl around cooked fish.