Say ”Aloha” to Pololi. The pioneer poke shack to spread the love of Hawaiian poke bowl concept in Hong Kong, is now available in Singapore. (Read: 5 Best Poké Bowls In Singapore)
Probably due to expensive rental space and Hong Kongers’ hectic work schedule, Pololi operates more towards a takeaway concept store, aimed to deliver healthy and fresh poke bowl to busy executives.
This is also the quite the case for their first overseas store in Singapore, situated at the CBD area of 51 Telok Ayer Street. (Note: There are already Aloha Poké at Amoy Street, and A Poke Theory at Boon Tat Street not too far away.)
Their poke bowl comes in two sizes – Kama’aina ($17.99), regular size with 180g of fish and Keiki ($15.99), small size with 150g of fish.
Here’s how it works: First, select the base option from white rice, brown rice or salad.
Next, pick the choice of poke from the variety of flavors which changes on a daily basis.
The shop does not explicitly list down their flavors, but some of the flavors I came across were Traditional Spicy, Yuzu Shoyu, Thai Sweet Chili, and Wasabi Mayo. Not the typical ones.
Too many options but don’t know what to choose?
Fret not, you are allowed to sample the different poke before making your purchase, like how we usually sample ice cream flavors first.
Great initiative but hope this does not delay the queue further if there are too many fickle-minded people. Haha.
Side ingredients such as edamame ($2.49), seaweed salad ($1.99) and sesame tofu ($2.49) are also available for add-ons with a nominal top-up.
(Photo taken in Hong Kong at one of their pop up market bazaar)
I spotted a familiar marinade which I have tried before from Pololi in Hong Kong and dived straight for the Thai Sweet Chilli with much assurance.
Tangy blend of sweet and spicy with a hint of coriander, simply appetizing for the palate with goes well with simple, white rice.
Another interesting flavor to note would be Sambal, a marinade specially created for Singapore’s opening.
While it may be my first time to have sambal on raw fish, the combination is somewhat pleasant, but lacking in a certain oomph factor.
I think it could fare better if they can up the spice level (Singaporeans generally have quite high level of spice tolerance) and enhance the flavor with some prawn paste together with a zest of lime.
That would be OUR version of sambal.
Being a late comer in our poke bowl scene, Pololi’s renditions are generally straightforward. At least, there is a focus on the variety of fish marinade they can offer – I would term them as 1st gen poke bowl.
That is however, paler in comparison with our existing poke bowl stores that offers a much more variety of side ingredients that compliments the poke bowl.
More fish marinade variety against more accompanying side ingredients. What’s your take?
Pololi Singapore
51 Telok Ayer Street, Singapore 048441 (Near Telok Ayer MRT)
Opening Hours: 11:30am – 3pm (Mon – Tue), 11:30am – 6pm (Wed – Thu), 11:30am – 10pm (Fri), Closed Sat & Sun
https://www.facebook.com/pololisg/
Other Related Entries
5 Best Poké Bowls In Singapore
Aloha Poké (Amoy Street)
Katto (Galaxis)
Alter Ego (Esplanade)
A Poke Theory (Boon Tat Street)
* Written by Lewis Tan @juicyfingers, a self-proclaimed coffee addict. Daniel’s Food Diary pays for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.
The post Pololi – 1st Hawaiian Poke Shack From Hong Kong Opens In Singapore appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.