February 27, 2016 — If you’re satiated with sushi and sick of ceviche but still crave the taste of raw fish, prepare to pile in for the latest pescatarian food craze: poke.
Hailing from Hawaii, poke – pronounced “poh-kay” – is usually a mix of raw cubes of fish (often tuna) with a soy sauce-based dressing, served in a bowl with rice and garnishes. It is big in the US, especially in Los Angeles and New York. And now it’s set to conquer the UK.
Pret a Manger is poised to become the first national chain to add poke to its lunchtime menu, following Bill Granger, an Australian chef who owns three London restaurants and offers a raw tuna and avocado poke dish.
Chefs love the potential for variety with poke, which means simply “to cut or section”. Anything goes when it comes to ingredients – mushrooms or beetroot are alternatives to fish. Hannah Dolan, a food developer at Pret, said: “Poke salad has been on our radar for a while and we’ll be introducing our own version inspired by the Hawaiian dish this spring. Poke salads are bright, fresh and vibrant … Ours will be centred around marinated mushrooms.”