This new healthy food joint means popping out for a Hawaiian now has nothing to do with pizza
We’re certainly not short of globally-inspired street food in Manchester these days, with everything from the avenues of Argentina to the roads of Rhodes available to eat, but Oké Poké seems to be offering a gap in the grab-and-go market with healthy Hawaiian food.
Pronounced ‘okay pokey’, this newest fastfood venture is a relatively healthy option based around chopped raw fish. Poke is the Hawaiian verb for ‘to slice or cut’ and is traditionally served as a starter over there. Traditional poké seasonings such as sesame oil and soy sauce have been influenced by Asian cuisines so is thought to have originated from island fishermen seasoning their off-cuts as a quick protein-rich snack.
Oké Poké - which has only just opened on Church Street in the Northern Quarter - is a split level take-away with limited seating towards the back.
Customers can choose from a menu of signature Poké bowls for £7.95, including Classic Ahi with raw tuna, avocado, sushi rice, carrot, wakame, cucumber, spring onion and a soy, ginger, garlic sauce - or they can opt to build their own. Starting with a base of sushi rice, quinoa or black rice, diners can then top it with a choice of fish, seafood, chicken or tofu, finished with a variety of fresh vegetables and even fruit all on display in the chilled counter. On top of that goes garnishes including seeds, nuts or herbs plus a choice of six sauces ranging from sweet pomegranate to ‘hot hot hot’ Ikiki.
Poké is also available in a ‘deconstructed sushi’ wrap form they call 'Pokérito' with all of the above ingredients wrapped up like a nori seaweed burrito at £6.95. Freshly made juices and smoothies are on the drinks menu as well as protein shakes like ‘funky monkey’ with banana, almond milk, raw cacao and acai or ‘honey boo' with avocado, almond milk and hemp protein.
Owner Saman Golesorkhi, who has three other dining ventures based in Barbados, reckons he’s spotted a gap in the market with his healthy and fast Hawaiian food. This will be his first Manchester venture. With various offices and flats in the area as well as people commuting up and down Church Street between gym and dance classes, it looks like he’s picked the perfect spot. So now we have the food, it just a shame he won’t be able to bring any Bajan or Hawaiian sunshine with it too.
Oke Poke, 59 Church St, M4 1PD Tel: 0161 879 7735. The restaurant and take away will open from 11.30am until 9.30pm every day
