Poké Leads The Way Among Fast-Growing Food Trends
From LA to NYC, Maui to Miami Beach, Poké Bowls are hot. Business Insider calls them “the next big thing in fast casual dining.” Health conscious diners, especially Millennials, like customizing their poké with fresh, flavorful ingredients. Even Bloomberg notes “it’s much more economical to open a poké spot than traditional restaurants” which require industrial-strength cooking equipment and venting systems.
Pronounced poh-kay, the centuries-old staple of Pacific Islanders has taken the mainland by storm, showing up on menus coast to coast as well as in Austin, Chicago, Denver and Portland. Traditionally made with cubes of raw tuna or other seafood, they’re dressed with sauces like Bali’s Best Sweet Soy, Chabé Sambal Chili, wasabi and sesame oil — then topped with seaweed, ginger, avocado & cucumber. “Kind of like deconstructed sushi,” says Huffington Post. “It’s healthy, delicious and truly unique.”
HEAT WITH A LITTLE SWEET
Poke-Poke was one of the pioneers in LA’s booming poké scene, offering four flavors and toppings including sambal. Recently expanding to Texas, the fast-growing chain notes that Southwestern tastes lean toward spicy, which is why they also offer fresh jalapeño, crushed red pepper and chili oil. In NYC, bold flavors are big too at Wisefish Poké, featuring choose-your-own adventure bowls like “Heat Wave.” Prime Fish in Miami Beach serves a Southeast Asian-inspired poké with sushi-grade hamachi, lime chiles, and sweet palm sugar.
According to the 2018 What’s Hot Culinary Forecast, authentic ethnic cuisine and condiments are among the top 20 food trends in 2018. Adding poké to their repertoire has helped many restaurants set the pace, along with creating new dishes using the genuine flavors of Southeast Asia in Bali’s Best Sweet Soy and Chabé Sambal Chili. Food trends come and go, yet recent reports from Nation’s Restaurant News say “Poké is here to stay.” Customers have made fresh, healthy and delicious part of their lifestyle, and make a point to seek it out while dining out or cooking at home.
Going out for poké? Make sure to top it off with Chabé Sambal or Bali’s Best Sweet Soy!
For more information about Bali’s Best Sweet Soy, go to www.balisbestsweetsoy.com
