The Best Poke Bowls on the Gold Coast

Scram acai, move over kombucha, get outta here kale and quinoa. If you haven’t already heard (or eaten), poke bowls are the new flavour of the month. And for that we say a big fat “mahalo”.

Simply put, poke is a raw fish salad usually served as an appetiser in Hawaiian cuisine. Traditionally, it’s made up of oily tuna or octopus, and combined with Japanese seasonings, like soy sauce, green onions, sesame oil, dried seaweed and wasabi.

However, on this big island of Australia, people are taking the humble poke in new directions. We check out where to get the best poke bowls on the Gold Coast.

Poké Poké

This is a dedicated poke bowl establishment for poke bowl devotees looking to take down an entire menu, one bowl at a time. Your best bet is to make your own with the ‘Pimp Yo Bowl’ selection. However, the Squidlicious is one of the best from the pre-set menu – salt & pepper calamari with cucumber salsa, green cabbage, carrot, beetroot curls, edamame, watercress, radish and wasabi mayo on brown rice.

Where: 2375 Gold Coast Hwy, Mermaid Beach

Sandbar

This schmick new Surfers Paradise spot has four poke bowls to choose from. The best is hands down the Maui – sashimi kingfish marinated in passionfruit, green chili and lime, with smoked paprika mayo, fresh avocado and edamame salad. They also recommend pairing it with SOS Rose or Scarborough Semillon.

Where: 52 The Esplanade, Surfers Paradise

Caffeine Kings

With a kitchen run by a chef from The Farm, it’s no surprise these guys are up with what’s trending. Their Breakfast Poke is definitely a goer – mushrooms, kale, poached eggs and Japanese hollandaise.

Where: 1920 Gold Coast Highway, Miami

Aloha Bar And Dining

Heroic cocktails, exceptional dumplings, and now, superb poke bowls. Grab a Sous Vide Chicken Poke bowl with spicy aioli and start a bar tab.

Where: 18 Main Place, Broadbeach

The Kitchen at The Collective

This classy and trendy joint is hard not to love. And as it turns out, it’s the same with their poke. Go for a Asian Salmon Poke – Sashimi grade salmon, avocado, pickled cabbage, sesame seeds and soy on crispy wontons.

Where: 1128 Gold Coast Highway, Palm Beach

Baskk at Kirra Point                                 

The Atlantic Salmon Poke is glorious. When you’ve got a bowl full of Atlantic Salmon, Japanese matcha rice, greens, cucumber radish, avocado, ruby grapefruit dressing, nori and kimchi, you’re not going to leave disappointed.

Where: 52-58 Marine Parade, Coolangatta

words by niall roeder