Poke bowls are a popular dish among the locals in Hawaii, featuring an assortment of freshly prepared seafood, crisp vegetables, soy sauce, other spices or sauces, normally served on a bed of white rice. The flavors vary depending on what you order, but they’re all tasty and leave you wanting more. Not much is known about the origins of poke, so here’s a brief history of the dish to shed some light on how it became a staple.

Where Did Poke Bowls Originate?

It’s thought that poke was first created by native Polynesians, who inhabited the islands spanning Hawaii and New Zealand. Villagers would catch reef fish and season it with the sea salt and candlenuts. Unused meat was salted again to preserve it for the next meal. It wasn’t until the 1960’s that this dish came to be known as poke.

How Has It Changed?

After Chef Sam Choy hosted Hawaii’s first poke bowl contest in 1991, the dish took on a whole new assortment of flavors. Professional and home cooks realized the flexibility of the ingredients and concocted several different variations that quickly gained in popularity.

Poke bowls have made the transition from small appetizers and side dishes to main menu items. A common poke dish is shoyu ahi poke, featuring ahi marinated in sesame oil and soy sauce, and mixed with Hawaiian sea salt, green onions and sometimes a hint of spice. It is typically served on a bed of fluffy, white rice.

However, at Aloha Cones located in Honolulu, Hawaii on the island of Oahu, you can get more than just your average poke bowl. You can get Sushi grade fish, as well as poke, in various combinations to create your own Sushi in a bowl or Chirashizushi as it’s known in Japan.

Aloha Cones serves all of its fresh fish on a bed of sushi rice versus plain white rice that kicks up the flavor a notch. The original location on Kinau Street closed at the end of 2018 to make way for its brand new location in Kalihi next to other popular Hawaii eateries.

If you’re craving a poke bowl or want to try Sushi in a bowl of the highest quality, head over to Aloha Cones in Honolulu, HI. Since 2013, head chef Aaron Kumura and his team have offered locals a delicious array of sushi, salads, and poke in bowls. They were recognized by Honolulu Magazine© as the winner of the best poke bowl in 2016. View their menu online, or call (808) 842-7653 to place a takeout order. Visit them on Yelp to read the latest customer reviews.