Makai Poke – Scrumptious Poke Bowl at Tanjong Pagar Centre!

And yet another poke bowl joint has opened in Singapore! Makai Poke is the latest eatery to join the poke bowl frenzy sweeping across Singapore and the world. It opened very recently and I am glad that I stumbled upon it when exploring the numerous awesome eateries in Tanjong Pagar Centre.

Makai Poke @ Tanjong Pagar Centre

Makai Poke is located on basement level one of Tanjong Pagar Centre. It offers takeaways for healthy and delicious poke bowls. If you wish to dine here, there is a vacant space beside the joint which has a few tables and chairs. Service was fast and I got my poke bowl very shortly after ordering.

What is a “Poke Bowl”?

In case you are not aware, Poke Bowl is a classic Hawaiian dish that consists of cubed fish (usually served spicy or with soy sauce) eaten over a hot bowl of sushi rice. It is pronounced as “Poh-Kay”, and NOT “Poke” (as in “I poke you on Facebook”). In recent years, this dish has become extremely popular not just in Singapore but all over the world.

But as I see it, these foreign poke bowl joints (Singapore included) have decided to give a twist on this traditional dish by incorporating other ingredients like avocado, chia seeds, quinoa, fruits, etc. I feel that there is nothing wrong with the eateries being creative and making the dish their own, but people should know that these variants are definitely not the authentic dish eaten in the Aloha state.

My Poke Bowl – Trio Rice Mix with Spicy Salmon

For my Makai poke bowl ($9.90), I decided to go with the Trio Rice Mix (a mix of sushi, red, and brown rice) and the Spicy Salmon. The dish came with generous sides of avocado, Japanese cucumber, carrots, cherry tomatoes, pineapple, salmon roe, lime, and Makai’s very own garnish. You can also choose to add on more sides and “healthy superfoods” like chia seeds, goji berries, etc, but I did not do so. You can refer to the menu below to see the entire list of ingredients available.

And so I eagerly scooped a spoonful of poke bowl goodness into my gaping mouth. It tasted great! The main highlight was the spicy salmon which tasted extremely fresh and savoury with a gratifying spicy kick. The rice was warm and chewy, complementing the salmon perfectly. The sides were scrumptious too; the avocado, cherry tomatoes, pineapple and salmon roe provided distinct savoury, sweet and piquant tastes for a flavourful party in my mouth.

Makai Poke Menu

Click to enlarge!

Conclusion

There are plenty of awesome eateries in Tanjong Pagar Centre, and Makai Poke is certainly one of them. There is no reason not to eat healthy when you can simply order a convenient dish of poke bowl for lunch. I will definitely drop by again soon for my poke bowl fix!

Makai Poke
Facebook: www.facebook.com/makaipokesg
Address: 7 Wallich Street #B1-08 Tanjong Pagar Centre 078884
Phone Number: +65 6386 9313