A slice of Hawaii in Hungary – Pokito opens to offer authentic fish poké - English

A young man from Istanbul, Erdem Bala fell in love with the fishy dish of poké in Spain and decided to do something with it. Poké is an authentic Hawaiian speciality based on healthy, fresh vegetables, nuts and raw fish. He had to postpone the opening of his new poké bar here in Budapest, Pokito, due to the pandemic, but now the day has finally come. Budapest welcomes Pokito.

Poké has become a worldwide trend, both on an international and a local level. Since its first appearance on the market, it has come under Japanese influence and lots of experimentation to achieve what it is today.

Photo: Forgács Zsuzsi - We Love Budapest

At Erdem Bala's poké outlet, in addition to poké bowls, you can also try appetisers and pre-cooked meat dishes, but their speciality is the poké burrito.

What is poké?

Poké is Hawaii’s traditional dish, its name in the local language means ‘to cut something into pieces’. Originally, it consisted of raw tuna pieces served with sea salt, seaweed, algae and chopped local nuts. In the '70s, the Japanese invented a new version of it, and the salt was replaced with a marinade containing soy sauce, sesame oil and citrus juice – but raw fish has remained integral.

Then, a few years ago, riding the wave of interest in superfoods, poké was back in the spotlight. It started selling in every major city in the world, this time in bowl form, supplemented with vegetables, legumes, rice and seeds.

Alongside the refreshing – and noticeably energising – tuna tartare (HUF 590), we sampled the salmon poké bowl here called salmon love (HUF 2890/3590 small/large), followed by the speciality, Loco Moco (HUF 4,190), a beef patty sushi burger with fried eggs and spices.

As well, there’s the crispy shrimpy poké burrito (HUF 3,290), something we haven't tasted before, a kind of huge, delicious sushi, a two-hander with no chopsticks required.

Developing organically across the globe, the varied culture of poké seems to be slowly becoming an indispensable factor in the gastronomy of Budapest, combining the intimate restaurant experience with the demanding one of cool street food. As a trend, poké is both delicious and healthy.