Welcome to the Vancouver Foodster Poke Challenge. I have invited restaurants from all over the city to enter their Poke creations into this challenge, some entered their most popular creation from their menu and others created a special Poke creation just for this challenge. Each restaurant will be featuring their special poke creation on their menu from July 10- August 5, 2018.

How Does this all Work? For the public challenge, you are invited to go out and order any or all of the Poke creations in this challenge, then you decide who you think has the best poke creation for the People’s Choice award winners. 

Share your experiences: Social share by tweeting, instagraming or snapchating your photos throughout the challenge, our twitter and instagram address is @vanfoodster and the hashtag is #PokeChallengeYVR

Voting criteria –  some things to help you judge your favourite poke creations – keep these things in mind: originality, creativity, uniqueness, traditional, non-traditional, price, value and most importantly taste.

Get some friends together and make a day or night of it, visit 2 places or more to share and taste the different Poke creations or go solo or with a friend– just remember to VOTE for your favourites

Here are the Poke creations in this challenge, listed in no particular order other than when they were received by us.

Poke Five

Akuma Tuna

Price: $13.50

Created by: Chef Nik Lim

Description: We are bringing fire with the Akuma Tuna Signature Bowl from Poke 5! Nested on foundation of sushi rice & our signature citrus kale base –  Hand cut cubes of succulent Ahi tuna are dressed in a sweet and tangy Teriyaki Mayo paired with spicy kimchi and a soft boiled free range egg marinated in a classic soy shoyu sauce. The entire bowl then gets flame kissed with a blow torch to bring some smokey caramel flavours to the party!  An intense sauce of matcha & wasabi gets drizzled on top with a generous helping of tobiko & fresh avocado. Akuma means demon in Japanese; If it tastes this good to be evil- why be good?

Ingredients: Ahi tuna, Sushi rice, citrus kale, Teri-mayo, Matchsabi-aioli, Kim-chi, Green onions, Shoyu-runny tea egg, Wasabi/Regular Tobiko, Avocado

Offered: all the time

Poke Five

2247 Commercial Drive, Vancouver

Tel: (604) 336-4528

Web: https://www.pokefive.com/

Instagram @thepoke5

 

Steve’s Poke Bar

Steve’s Traditional Poke

Price: $15

Created by: Steve Huynh

Description: Ahi is the prominent fish used in Hawaii. Our Poké is marinated in Hawaiian spices, Steve’s Shoyu & Spicy Mayo sauces made in house that stems from Hawaiian influence and family tradition, tossed with green onions and sesame seeds, served on a bed of hot rice sprinkled with furikake seasoning. Traditional, original, Hawaiian Poké served island style.

Ingredients: 4 Scoops of Ahi Tuna Poke (2 Shoyu, 2 Spicy) served on white rice sprinkled with Furikake, fresh green onions, roasted sesame seeds and Shoyu sauce drizzled around the bowl.

Offered: All the time

Steve’s Poke Bar

SFU

8931 Cornerstone Mews, Burnaby

Tel: (604) 559-7653

Web: https://www.stevespokebar.ca 

Instagram @stevespokebar

and

Steve’s Poke Bar

Guildford

4A 9965 152 St, Surrey

Tel: 778-394-POKÉ(7653)

Web: https://www.stevespokebar.ca

Instagram @stevespokebar

 

Pacific Poke

The Main Beet

Price: $14

Created by: Chef Ryan Mah

Description:

Ingredients: Spicy Ahi Tuna, Wild Sockeye Salmon, Crab & Shrimp, Shaved Cauliflower, Seaweed, Gingered Golden Beets, Avocado & Jalapeño Dressing

Offered: all the time

Pacific Poke

625 Main Street, Vancouver

Tel: (604) 559-5304

Web: https://www.thepacificpoke.com/

Instagram @pacificpokeofficial

and

Pacific Poke

2151 West 4th Avenue, Vancouver

Tel:604-620-1080

Web: https://www.thepacificpoke.com/

Instagram @pacificpokeofficial

And

Pacific Poke

#2-4461 Lougheed Hwy, Burnaby

Tel:604-620-9308

Web: https://www.thepacificpoke.com/

Instagram @pacificpokeofficial

 

The Hoke Poke

L’a Nesuto

Price: $12.95

Created by Hoke Poke Team

Description: Ahi tuna and Atlantic salmon are mixed with fresh green onions, sweet onions, cilantro, jalapeños, crispy onions and Furikake. Tossed with our signature Chef’s Special sauce and topped with crispy shredded seaweed, a quail egg and Flaming Hot Cheetos. Yum!

Served with side scoops of guacamole, pickled ginger, imitation crab meat and seaweed salad, served on a bed of white rice.

Offered: all the time

The Hoke Poke

1824 West 4th Avenue, Vancouver

Tel: (604) 564-8885

Web: http://www.thehokepoke.ca/

Instagram @thehokepoke

 

Daddy’s Kitchen

Tamarind Poke Bowl

Price: $11.75

Created By: Chef Eddie Ly & Brian LY

Description: Ahi Tuna & Prawns Mixed with Mandarin Orange, Pineapple and Red Onion in Tamarind & Lemongrass Sauce.  Served with Crisp Cucumber, Crunchy Carrot & Daikon Pickles and Fresh Avocado.  Finished with Basil and Cilantro garnish. Optional: Spice your Poke bowl with Fresh Bird eye Chili.

Ingredients: Highly is the Tamarind & Lemongrass Sauce.  Tamarind Concentrated, Lime Leave & lemongrass branded in Coconut Water.  Ahi Tuna, Prawns and other Veggie + Fruit.

Offered: All the time

Daddy’s Kitchen

2586 Commercial Drive, Vancouver

Tel: 604.620.7686

Web: http://www.daddyskitchen.ca/

Instagram @daddyskitchenpoke

 

The Pokeman

Tahitian Style Poisson Cru

Price: $16.94

Created by: Chef Tomoki Yamasaki

Description: Poisson cru is a lesser known, Polynesian raw fish dish very similar to poke in origin, in that it started as a humble fisherman dish with whatever the fresh catch was and local ingredients in the surrounding area.

The staple ingredients include, fish, coconut cream, onion, lime, and tomato. We will be presenting this in a modern way that includes a contrast in textures and flavours and uses as many local and seasonal ingredients as possible.

Ingredients: Ahi tuna, red pepper, sweet onion, scallion, basil, tomato,  chili lime coconut cream, supercrunch (Puffed grains, shallot, garlic, aonori, candied orange, sesame seeds, spices) offered on a base of salad, rice or 8grain rice

The Pokeman

3735 West 10th Avenue, Vancouver

Tel: 604-428-7653

Web: https://pokemanvancouver.com/

Instagram @pokemanvancouver

 

Westcoast Poke

Butterfish Bowl

Price: $18

Created by: the team

Description:

Ingredients: charred scallion and ginger rice, aburi chili oil Gindara sablefish, maple soy charred corn salsa (red pepper, corn, jalapeños, charred sablefish skin), radish, curled scallions, sesame seeds.

Offered: All the time

Westcoast Poke

463 West 8th Avenue, Vancouver

Tel: (778) 379-5344

Web: https://www.westcoastpoke.com/

Twitter @WestCoastPoke ‏

Instagram @westcoastpoke

And

Westcoast Poke

3030 – 11666 Steveston Hwy, Richmond

Tel: 778 – 297 – 1138

Web:https://www.westcoastpoke.com/

Twitter @WestCoastPoke ‏

Instagram @westcoastpoke

 

Our Media judges for this challenge are:

Kirsty Ip

Food blogger for eatingwithkirby.com

Twitter @eatingwithkirby

Instagram @eatingwithkirby

 

Bethany Ho

Blogger of Bites of Vancouver

Twitter: @bitesofvancity

Instagram @bitesofvancouver

 

Louisa Chan

Writer and Editor of L for Life as well as Ming Pao

Twitter: @L_FOR_LIFE

Instagram @lforlife_vancouver

 

Make sure you pick up one of the Poke Challenge postcards available at each of the participating restaurants and keep a record of your favourites. Remember to Vote for your favourites from July 10 – August 5, 2018 at https://vancouverfoodster.com/poke-challenge/