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Victoria: London’s top new food trend at Ahi Poke

Ahi Poké is at the forefront of the scene in the UK. That’s pronounced POH-key. No, they’re not related to Pokémon!

They’re the latest trend fresh from Hawaii taking LA and the US by storm. And we love them! Poké means “slice or cut” in Hawaiian. It was developed in the 20’s by Japanese immigrants to Hawaii. Think sushi without the seaweed wrap – larger portions and sweeter dressings.

The setting

 Ahi Poké is in the sleek, new Nova complex opposite Victoria Station.

The modern square is landscaped with seating, raised gardens and sculpture.

It’s handy for Victoria, around the corner from Buckingham Palace and perfectly placed for blockbuster musical lovers. Wicked is playing across the road and will be joined by US phenomenon Hamilton in December.

Ahi Poké has a crisp, modern feel. The floor to ceiling windows create light and the pretty bamboo wallpaper adds an exotic touch. The café only has outdoor seating, but in good weather that’s a bonus in this location.

During our lunchtime visit most customers had Poké bowls to go. The small queue of office workers and commuters moved quickly.

The little things

We loved the fact that all the packaging is 100% biodegradable.

They responsibly source and sustainably catch their fish.

They are open for lunch and dinner and their vibrant ingredients and filling bowls are a fab addition to Victoria’s eating options.

The fresh juice test

Ahi Poké sadly doesn’t do juices or smoothies. There’s a small selection of drinks including water, coconut waters and a homemade iced tea.

What we ate

We had three small bowls. There’s a choice of four signature bowls-Oahu,Heat Wave, Venice and Sweet Green. We chose the vegan Sweet Green.

You can also ‘Build A Bowl’ choosing a base (kale, brown rice, quinoa), a fish or veggie (salmon, Ahi tuna, shrimp or mushroom), a sauce and toppings (fried onion, confit ginger, carrot, radish, coriander, kimchee, pineapple, edamame, sweet potato, red onion and chili grapefruit).

We chose a shrimp and an Ahi tuna. All three are fresh, filling and delicious.

There’s a small selection of deserts and the green matcha cream topped with pomegranate is sweet and rich. We left feeling energised.

What else?

We like the way you can build your own supercharged Poke bowl.  There’s another branch of Ahi Poké with indoor seating in Percy St, Fitzrovia.

The bill

Sweet Green bowl with avocado £6.95
Build Your Own Bowl £7.95
Matcha Cream £3.00

What made us glow?

The fact that yummy and healthy food can be found so close to busy Victoria.

Now there’s no excuse for not picking up a healthy take-away as you commute!