Pokey Okey – One of the Best Poke Shops in Vancouver
One of the best poke shops in Vancouver? I know, big claim. ?
I have been a fan of Pokey Okey ever since the beginning when they only had one location, and it still to this day remains one of the poke shops I frequent the most whenever I’m craving poke. ? They have a quirky, cute, and fun aesthetic, but it’s really the food that stands out for me.
They have 3 locations: Downtown (on Hornby St), Richmond (on Anderson Rd), and Burnaby (on Kingsway) and if you’re not close to one of these locations, they’re also on most food delivery apps like Uber Eats and Skip The Dishes.
Most of the time I choose to build my own bowl and in that case, you would go through these 4 steps.
- Dine-in or take out
- Pick a size (the size will determine how much protein you get)
- Choose a base out of white rice, brown rice, or spring mix (you can do half and half in one bowl!)
- Choose proteins, vegetables, sauces, and toppings
If you’re in a hurry or you want someone to make the decision for you, I suggest ordering one of their Signature Bowls. My personal favourites are the The Red Bowl and The Beefy Bowl (basically a Gyudon).
This is what the Beefy Bowl ($13.96) looks like. It’s a hearty bowl with braised beef, green onions, pickled ginger, seaweed flakes, and rice, topped with a beautiful yolky onsen egg. If you’re missing Japan, this is the dish to get.
And this is what the Red Bowl ($13.96) looks like! It contains spicy tuna, spicy salmon, flying fish roe, seaweed salad, kimchi radish, purple cabbage, fried onion, seaweed flakes, and spicy mayo sauce. This bowl is perfect for spicy lovers.
Right now they have a limited time “Coconut Truffle Udon ($24.00)” that is also vegan!!
I gotta say, I REALLY dig this!! ?
The udon noodles were cooked perfectly and the coconut sauce paired perfectly with it. Now also don’t get me started on the truffle flavour. I was surprised that it was so prominent throughout the dish! Lastly, the fried garlic chips + nutritional yeast topping added the perfect crunch.
Vegans and non-vegans alike…. you MUST GET THIS!!
[Pro Tip] When building your own bowl, add the extra $2 and get Torched Salmon Belly as your protein.
The torched salmon belly is truly unique and no other poke places in Vancouver offer this as an option. I highly highly recommend you give this a try because it’ll take your poke bowl to a whole ‘nother level. ?
Another tip is to get the Ramen Egg (+$2) or Pokey Yokey Onsen Egg (+$2) for optimal yolkyness.
This is a custom bowl with ahi tuna, ahi salmon, a variety of vegetable toppings, fried garlic, fried onion, and an add-on avocado (+$3). The avocado adds an extra touch of brightness to the poke and it really gets you ready for summer time! ?
This is also a custom bowl but with spicy ahi tuna, spicy salmon, coconut shrimp (shrimp is cooked), and an add-on onsen egg (+$2). It was my first time trying coconut shrimp and it was bomb!! It basically tastes like cooked shrimp with mayo, pineapples, and other seasoning. It is a great option for those who can’t or don’t want to eat raw seafood.
All in all, Pokey Okey is one of the best poke shops in Vancouver and you can’t go wrong with anything on the menu. ?
Their premium add-ons like torched salmon belly, onsen egg, and ramen egg really push them over the edge in terms of flavour and uniqueness and that is what I like most about them.
I hope you give them a try and let me know on Instagram what you think of them! Also feel free to check out my other poke reviews.
Disclaimer: Thank you to Pokey Okey for sponsoring this blog post and for allowing me to create awesome content for you guys. All opinions are my own.
Happy Eating!
