WHERE TO ENJOY A POKÉ BOWL IN GENEVA
by Vivian Holding
As a foodie, I like nothing better than trying out new flavour combinations. My latest find from my summer in Vancouver is the poké bowl (think sushi in a bowl). Often I find new trends slow to arrive in Geneva but, thankfully, I’ve found three great options here – so if you love sushi, you should really give poké a go.
WHAT’S SO SPECIAL ABOUT POKÉ?
Poké is healthy, delicious and can be personalised to your own taste.
WHERE DOES POKÉ COME FROM?
The poké bowl is Hawaii’s favourite food and although a new trend to us, this simple and addictive dish has been around for centuries.
WHAT IS POKÉ MADE FROM?
- A base of grains be it either sweetened sushi rice, brown rice or quinoa, kale or other leafy green (the sweetness comes from using rice vinegar).
- Sushi grade cubed raw fish – the most popular being salmon or ahi tuna, flavoured with either soya, teriyaki or sriracha (hot chilli) sauce.
- Topped with a choice of vegetables – edamame beans, avocado, raw sliced cabbage, radish, red peppers, spring onions, cucumber, carrot or beansprouts.
- And a sprinkle of toppings such as sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, sushi ginger, seaweed, wasabi, sliced red or green chilli, peanuts.
- Add more sauce if needed.
WHERE TO FIND POKÉ OR SUSHI BOWLS IN GENEVA
Unable to find a true poké restaurant in Geneva (such as I found in Vancouver and more recently Poké Maoli on Barcelona’s beach front), I have however found the following three options, which have temporarily satisfied my poké curiosity – that is until some clever newbie restauranteur sets up a true poké restaurant in town.
SUSHISHOP
The largest choice of poké bowls are on offer here – from teriyaki salmon, spicy tuna, citrus daurade (bream) as well as their own detox version. Their two, beautifully Japanese styled, centre of town restaurants at 6 boulevard Georges-Favon and 10 rue de Vieux-College mean you can eat-in in style. A home/office delivery service (mysushishop.ch) is also available – click here for info.
My recommendation: the teriyaki salmon bowl. Although I didn’t finish the rice, as delicious as it was with its sweetened rice vinegar, the combination of teriyaki salmon, crunchy sliced white cabbage, avocado and Thai chives was just perfect. Price wise – from 21.80 CHF to 23.70 CHF.
TARTARES & CO.
The Swiss/French love a good tartare and the products they use, be it meat or fish, is always top quality. Tartares & Co. is a recent newcomer to the Geneva restaurant scene and now have two branches – one near Cornavin at 10 Boulevard James-Fazy and the other in Plainpalais at 9 Henri Dunant. Decorated in a cool industrial style, their restaurants have a buzzy yet relaxed feel to them. On offer are two poké bowls with either marinated salmon or marinated tuna. Click here for website and reservations.
My recommendation: their salmon poké bowl – a combination of sushi rice, marinated salmon, avocado, wakame seaweed, mango, ginger, radish, red cabbage and cucumber. A good mix of sweet and savoury ingredients combined to make a great flavoured poké bowl. Price wise – 32 CHF each.
GLOBUS
The food counters at Globus are my go-to place when shopping in the centre of town for something quick and tasty to eat, although I often find it too crowded and struggle to find somewhere to sit, so I tend to take the escalator down to the lower ground floor to enjoy the service on offer there. The sushi counter serves three different poké bowl options in their beautiful über contemporary space with stunning suspended copper lighting from the great British designer Tom Dixon.
Zukedon (marinated salmon, tuna and kingfish, with avocado and sushi rice served with a wakame seaweed salad) at 28 CHF.
Sake Yuzu (marinated salmon, mango and sushi rice, with a lemon dressing, served with a wakame seaweed salad) at 28 CHF.
Yamakake (spicy and marinated tuna and sushi rice, served with a wakame seaweed salad)at 29 CHF.
My recommendation: the Sake Yuzu salmon poké bowl. I asked if I could swap the mango for avocado (just my personal choice) and they did so happily. It was also served with red fish roe, giving a welcome additional texture to the bowl.
POKÉ PARTY AT HOME
A great idea for easy supper parties or, as in my house, a Saturday night favourite, we like to enjoy a poké dinner. Everyone gets to choose their ingredients and not one bowl is alike. Here’s my super easy recipe:
Ingredients (serves 4-6)
- 480g quality salmon filet, cubed
- 1 ripe avocado, peeled and cubed
- 1 bunch coriander, finely chopped stems and leaves (reserve a few leaves for garnish)
- 1tsp grated fresh ginger
- 2 spring onions, finely sliced
- juice of ½ lime
- 60ml light soya, teriyaki or sriracha sauce.
- Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and serve with a selection of fresh and crunchy vegetables such as edamame beans, avocado, raw sliced cabbage, radish, red peppers, spring onions, cucumber or carrot.
- Top with your choice of seeds (sesame, pumpkin or poppy) and sushi ginger, wakame seaweed, wasabi, sliced red or green chilli, peanuts, chives or extra coriander leaves.
- Serve with either sushi rice, brown rice, kale or greens. If using rice, sprinkle with rice wine vinegar to taste after cooking. Rice can be served hot or cold.
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
Have you tried poké? Know of any other places to enjoy it in Geneva? What did you think of my recipe? Leave a comment below!