Did you know that you can get authentic Hawaiian style poké from Steve’s Poké Bar. And that Steve is an actual person, who grew up in Hawaii and missing the local and fresh flavours of poké there, has brought his recipes and memories with him when he moved to Vancouver and started Steve’s Poké in 2017.
And since then Steve’s Poké has franchised in 2022 and now has a total of 22 locations. All of which are located in British Columbia, with the newest being on Victoria Island.
But if you are like me, you don’t immediately think of eating chilled fish over room temperature rice or salad during winter. Luckily they have just launched something warm and different to get you in. And I visited my local Steve’s Poké location at Brentwood Mall’s Tables foodcourt to give it a try.
With the chills and potential snow, people are looking for soups and stews to warm up with, so Steve’s new Hawaiian Chilli seems to fit the bill. Slow-cooked beef, pork, and mushroom chilli. Served over rice with raw diced onions and furikake, don’t knock it until you try it. Steve himself confirmed with me that this is as authentic as it gets, as a dish he so fondly recalls growing up with. I, myself found it oddly familiar too, but couldn’t put my finger on it. The comforting flavours of a mellow tomato sauce based chilli, without the texture of the grainy beans that I don’t like. Can recommend as a great fast food chilli.
It is worth mentioning that the Hawaiian Chili is only available at participating locations and at limited quantity, that does sells out daily. So it is advised to call ahead or pre-order online to save your bowl.
This is specially the case given their latest promotion and holiday special. Two bowls and two drinks for $25, with a savings of $13. Available until the end of 2023.
Steve’s Hawaii Fruit Tea is also new to the menu and the drink I would recommend over canned sodas or bottled smoothies. Get your vitamin D with their tropical blend of pineapple, orange, and grapefruit infused with ice-cold bold black tea from Great Wall Tea. The citrus pairs well with their seafood and offers a nice palate refresher for the chilli. Premixed as a concentrate you do have the ability to choose your sweetness level, I found the regular version a good option.
And seeing as you already hear for the chilli and fruit tea, you might as well add on another bowl and drink to take advantage of the $25 promotion. Either treat a friend for lunch, or save the second set for a later meal.
Here, I would suggest one of their signature poké bowl for the full Steve’s experience. You can either choose from one of their predesigned poké bowls or create your own a la carte by picking your desired protein and toppings.
We would do the latter with their spicy tuna in a creamy mayo sauce. We opted for rice over a green salad base. For sides the crab, corn, and edamame beans come standard. For a little extra indulgence I recommend the tobiko for taste and texture; and to finish it off with a topping of furikake seasoning and their spicy mango sauce. The spicy fish options are great as they add a little more moisture to the bowl and you get a great gummy texture from the rice because of it.
We also had their “Shoyu A Good Time” bowl and found it completely different from our build our own above, without the spicy mayo cream coating the tuna. One scoop of Shoyu Ahi Tuna, furikake seasoning, tobiko, corn, edamame, imitation crab, wakame seaweed salad, pickled ginger, and sesame seeds. Served on hot rice with Steve’s Shoyu sauce drizzled on top. By comparison this was drier, but it did taste heavier with the fragrant soy coating everything, and naturally more salty than sweet. It also gave me a fried rice quality. I especially liked the more indulgent side of seaweed salad and pickled ginger, as they gave the bowl levels of flavour and more interest to have me returning bite after bite.
And once again, if what you see here, isn’t exactly what you want, you can always customize your own from scratch or add on a few additional fixings for a more fulsome bowl.
For larger parties and as a catering option you can also order their poké by the pound. And during this celebration season it is 30% off. Just the seasoned tuna, scallop, or salmon. The ahi tuna with sesame is very clean and light. The fresh salmon is not unlike sashimi grade salmon that you get in sushi restaurants, in both taste and texture. And the scallop does not have as much flavour as the fish, but it offers a unique texture with its firm gumminess. I would order this and prepare a sushi bake to take to any party and impress. This promotion is also only available until the end of the year.
And for those who don’t like the texture or taste of raw fish, Steve’s also makes a solid Spicy Musubi Bowl. Theee slices of Shoyu glazed Hawaiian Pork Patties on a base of hot rice with Steve’s Shoyu and furikake seasoning. Topped with corn, imitation crab, edamame, pineapple, and pickled ginger. The bowl is finished with seaweed flakes and sesame seeds, plus Steve’s Shoyu and Spicy mayo drizzled on top. The spiciness is evenly tempered by the sweetness from the corn kernels and the juicy pineapple chunks. I enjoyed this for all the elements I got to sort through, especially the crunchy toppings. If you grew up with and love Spam brand canned meat like I do, this one is for you.
In short, Steve’s Poké not only offers the most authentic Hawaiian poké in all of BC, but has new hot seasonal items to have you visiting all year round. And if you have never tried them, now is the time with additional discounts and deals to save on.
Steve’s Poké Brentwood
The Amazing Brentwood
4567 Lougheed Hwy. F11, Burnaby, BC V5C 3Z6
(604) 563-7653
stevespokebar.ca
