- Liwen Ong
Aloha Poké's New Haiwaiian Tiki Bar
Throwback three years ago, having a bowl of poké was not a common sight as it is now. Aloha Poké was one of the first Poké stops that introduced the concept of Poké bowls in Singapore. Now celebrating their third anniversary, they are offering diners a refreshed menu with five new premium toppings, three new standard toppings, three new cooked poké picks as well as cauliflower rice as a carb-free base option.
Upon entering their quaint outlet on Amoy St, I was offered to pick between three types of cold pressed juices - clean eaters, do note you are able to get your juice fix here as well. Aloha Poké sells bottled cold press juices from Juix Up (each bottle is priced $6.00). I decided to try the “celery cooler” which consists of green apple, cucumber, celery and lemon.
First up, we tried Aloha Poké’s new Signature Poké bowl called Green Giant ($17.90). This is a vegetarian poké bowl that features their new carb-free based option, the cauliflower rice topped with nutty sesame tofu, king mushrooms and Japanese garlic chips. Personally, the sound of vegetarian food does not entice me but these ingredients put together exceeded my expectations. The bowl was overall pretty tasty and it was hard to believe that this was ALL vegetarian.
Next up, we sampled the salmon and tuna poké bowl with all their new premium and standard topping offerings. Served on a generous mound of white and brown rice, the new premium toppings include jellyfish, roasted bell peppers, sundried tomatoes, Japanese garlic chips and ikura (all priced at $1.50 each, except ikura priced at $3.50).
The new standard toppings in this bowl were pickled ginger, nori seaweed and chuka wakame. (all priced at $1.00 each) To be honest when all mixed up in the poké bowl, I could not distinguish the toppings from one another.
Though I must compliment that the salmon, ikura and tuna were rather fresh. Personally one fear I have of eating poké bowls is the fear of having an upset tummy due to the raw fish not being fresh or of decent quality. However, with my many experiences with Aloha Poké I am rest assured of the freshness and quality of their poké.
For those with the same fears as me, Aloha Poké now offers three types of cooked poké. They offer cooked salmon, garlic prawns and habanero chicken as alternatives to raw fish poké. Out of the three, my favourite was the garlic prawns. I felt the habanero chicken too spicy for my liking and the cooked salmon a tad bit fishy. Nonetheless, I am glad they now offer cooked poké so this place will not be struck out for those who do not take raw food.
Being in the Amoy Street vicinity, I think it is a great idea that Aloha Poke now turns into a Hawaiian Tiki bar at night. Regular diners may probably notice the restaurant has undergone a vibrant makeover with the blue walls that resemble the sea by day but turns into a wall of dark blue hues by night.
I got the chance to try five tiki treats (bar bites). First was the Stuffed Potato Skins ($12.00), baked with chicken, oyster mushrooms, sauteed in teriyaki glaze and topped with mozarella cheese. This is perfect if you are feeling peckish between sips of your drink.
The Hawaiian Kebabs ($10.00 for chicken; $15 for beef) comes in pairs and is made of a combination of meat, onions, pineapples, as well as green and red peppers. I found the meat tender and this light bite turned out to be pretty filling as well,
The poké pie tee ($9.00 for 4 shells) is a creative way of enjoying poké. As each cup is layered with jelly fish, poké, pineapple, ikura and spring onions, I feel the shell complements the fillings as a carb base better than rice as it really brought out the flavours and freshness of the poké.
Lastly, what is a bar without drinks? The Tiki Bar offers beers Longboard Lager and Big Wave Golden Ale ($10.00 per glass) on tap. Although I am no beer expert, these beers are easy to drink and pretty affordable in comparison to other bars in the area.
Ride the wave to Aloha Poké soon to check out their new menu offerings or just hang loose after work at their new Tiki Bar.
For the list of Aloha Poké outlets, please visit: www.alohapoke.com.sg
Tiki Bar by Aloha Poké
Address: 92 Amoy Street, Singapore 069911
Opening Hours:
Lunch: 11.30am - 2.30 pm
Dinner: 5.30pm - Late
Closed on Sun & Public Holidays
Telephone Number: (65) 6221 6165