Work in the CBD, and you’ll never hungry – or so they say. Actually, the proper saying is, work in the CBD, and you’ll be spoilt for choice every day over what to eat, because there are so many options available for the same type of cuisine.

This time, the cuisine in question is Hawaiian. More specifically, the wildly popular and healthy Poke Bowl. Hot on the heels of Aloha Poke on Amoy Street, A Poke Theory has opened its doors on Boon Tat Street. Time for a little friendly competition? 😉

Head’s up if you plan on getting your Poke fix at – they ran out of Poke bowls at 1pm on their first day. Better head down early!

Poke bowls start with a base of rice, quinoa or lettuce. Diners can indulge in one of four proteins – Original Shoyu Tuna, Spicy Garlic Sesame Tuna ($11.50 for 100g, $15 for 150g), Spicy Mayo Salmon and Avocado Miso Salmon ($12.50 for 100g, $16.50 for 150g).

Toppings are divided into two categories – regular and premium ($2). Feels like building a Subway sandwich as you proceed down the counter, but yummier, healthier and fresher!

For my bowl, I chose Signature sushi rice, topped with 100g of Avocado Miso Salmon, Japanese cucumber, pineapple, lime avocado, spiced roasted cashew, tobiko, furikake and nori flakes. Let Operation Good Food begin! Did I mention that their slogan is “Life’s too short to eat bad food”? I completely agree.

A Poke Theory knows what makes a photo worthy packaging, opting for a shallower, rustic brown container that shows all the ingredients.

The signature sushi rice is infused with seedless chilli and garlic, before being marinated with sushi vinegar. While I could taste the spicy kick from the chilli, it was a little subtle and did not overpower the other ingredients. The garlic was barely noticeable.

The avocado miso salmon was da bomb – fresh, succulent cubes of marinated goodness. If you’re an avocado addict, you definitely shouldn’t miss out on it. The initial creaminess of the avocado mix gave way to the saltiness of the miso over time, while the salmon flesh remained plump and juicy. No regrets picking this one for my protein!

The spiced roasted cashew, which is made fresh everyday, was equally noteworthy – syrupy sweet and crunchy. It did tend to clump together, though. I’d love to snack on this at work (Vannessa and team, if you’re reading this, please, please sell this to go!).

Is it just me, or does the bowl resemble a Poké Ball with the nori flakes?!

Drinks sell at $2 with a Poke Bowl ($2.50 ala carte), and you can choose from Mint Lemonade, Fizz of the Month, or a Daily T2 Tea Infusion. I had the Elderflower Soda.

Don’t forget to leave room for dessert – A Poke Theory also whips up a mean Superfood Smoothie Bowl ($6). Stared at the menu for quite a while(because all the combinations were equally enticing)before the staff recommended the Maca Nutter (banana blended with raw maca and soy milk, topped with coconut and dark chocolate drizzle, pomegranate, dark chocolate shavings, and my new favourite – roasted cashews).

THIS WAS SO GOOD. Unlike other places trying to pass off processed, preserved ingredients as as health food, the blended banana was LEGIT FRESH. The chocolate shavings and pomegranate were a combination of sweet, sour and crunchy and made an otherwise ordinary cup of blended banana pretty complex in taste and texture. 10/10 would come back here for the smoothie bowls. Also, have you seen a prettier bowl of healthy goodness?

Does A Poke Theory live up to its philosophy of bangin’ food gone healthy? Yes it does. It ticks all the items off the checklist for good looking and good tasting food for a soul weary of tired salads and artificially sweetened fruit juices.

And yes, you can take out your phone to take as many pictures as you want. It’s written on the wall. Thanks Vannessa and team for having us!

Address: 27 Boon Tat Street
Contact:  hello@apoketheory.com (no reservations)
Opening hours: 
Monday to Friday: 8am – 6pm
Saturday: 9am – 3pm

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chueonit.