By: Ana Maria Mejia Morales
Ah, lunch. What a dilemma. What to get? I have $16 in my bank account, so that’s more than enough. Pizza? No, I’ve had pizza twice this week. Maybe something healthy would be better . . . why is everything healthy so expensive? What about sushi? If I get sushi I’ll be hungry in two hours! Wait, poke!
This was my thought process as I walked around downtown, deciding what I should eat for lunch. The Poke Guy on 420 Richards Street (less than two minutes away from Harbour Centre) was there to put my worried tummy at ease.
Poke, for those of you that don’t keep up with culinary trends as they arrive in Vancouver, is a raw fish salad originally from Hawaii. Well, that doesn’t sound very appealing, you could be thinking. You are wrong.
“The beautiful thing about the Poke . . . is that it can be made to suit everyone’s palate.”
The beautiful thing about poke, besides its colours, is that it can be made to suit everyone’s palate. The concept is very simple: a bed of rice, marinated fish of your choice, and as many healthy toppings as you wish (avocado is usually extra).
At The Poke Guy, you get two options, the Lil’ Guy or the Big Guy, the difference being the amount of fish you get (2 or 3 scoops, respectively). You then choose your base: white rice, brown rice — or if you are on a hardcore diet — salad greens.
There are multiple options for the fish or protein: ahi tuna, albacore tuna, wild sockeye salmon, soft tofu, or lomi lomi, all marinated in a particular sauce. Then come the toppings: seaweed salad, imitation crab, avocado, cucumber, pineapple, mango, carrots, corn, edamame, green onions, cilantro, and sprouts. You choose what you want. You can add a little crunch with toppings like crispy onions or wasabi peas; I, personally, go with sesame seeds because I’m more of a classic gal. Finally, drizzle some flavour with either wasabi mayo, spicy mayo, sesame, or yuzu mayo.
The price can range from from $9 to $18, and the convenience of the meal is praiseworthy. The Poke Guy also makes it even easier with their order online option. Yet, what makes this joint my favourite poke place around town is their ecological consciousness. They are the first and only poke restaurant in Canada that is partnered with Ocean Wise, which means that their products only come from suppliers who source responsibly and sustainably. No farmed seafood, only fresh and wild fish on your plate.
So next time you find yourself downtown, on a budget, wondering what to eat as your stomach grumbles and your head is indecisive, don’t think about it twice: go to The Poke Guy.
