Mahalo Poké, located on Swan St in Richmond, began as an UberEATS only business, but has recently opened its doors to customers to become the freshest kid on the block, in every sense of the word. Look out for the salmon pink exterior on the corner of Swan and Lennox Streets – it’s not hard to miss!
Mahalo Poké when translated, means ‘thanks, gratitude and appreciation’. This new venture comes from the masterminds behind the beloved Richmond establishment Botherambo, a cocktail bar and restaurant located just down the road who are known for their insane Southeast Asian cuisine (so you know you’re in capable hands at Mahalo).
For those of you who don’t know, Poké Bowls are the hottest food trend that is conquering social media platforms everywhere. Poké Bowls (pronounced POH-keh) translates to ‘fish salad’ and traditionally consists of pieces of raw fish usually served as an appetiser or entrée, which originated in Hawaii in the 1970s but have heavy flavour influences from Japanese cuisines. Think giant, deconstructed sushi in a bowl.
Poké bowls are easy to make and so damn pleasing to the eye (and Insta-feed), it’s just a bonus that they’re also ridiculously healthy. It’s all DIY meaning you pick a base of white rice, brown rice, kale or soba noodles and build your bowl from there with a selection of vegies, dressings and garnishes. Otherwise, you can stick to the set menu and let the experts do what they do best.
A favourite bowl is the ‘Mahalo Tuna Bowl’ with Yellowfin Tuna topped with Tobiko, Shoyu and Torogashi. If raw fish isn’t your thing, you can try the ‘Mochicko Fried Chicken’ with pickled chili, pineapple, edamame, corn, wasabi mayo and tonkatsu BBQ sauce.
Shout out to our vegan and vegetarian friends who can enjoy ‘The Buddha Bowl’ which is loaded with chickpea sprouts, zucchini, beetroot, currants, cauliflower, cucumber, Toragashi yogurt and sesame oil. All Poké bowls are whipped up in front of your eyes, like a healthy production line, made with the freshest and most vibrant ingredients.
If you’re not in a Poké kinda of mood, that’s okay, Mahalo offer a range of varying options for breakfast, lunch and dinner so you can order burgers, fries and delicious smoothies if that’s more your thing.
I don’t know about you, but my mouth is watering just writing this article!
If you’re thinking of heading down, Mahalo Poké is open until 10pm every night. There is a lunch and dinner rush, with lines out the door – so if you can make it down for brunch or for an early dinner (linner? dunch?) then you can snag a spot on the tables outside and people-watch while you enjoy some healthy eats.
Find out more about Mahalo Poké here.
By Indah Da Silva
