The Place
To the best of our knowledge, Kigo Poke is only Guangzhou’s second restaurant to specialize in Hawaiian poke bowls and the first of its kind in Haizhu District. Located a short stroll from Changgang Metro Station, Kigo dishes out fresh, fish-loaded bowls at prices notably lower than the competition.
Image by Matt Bossons/That's
While seating here is limited, both the no-frills interior of Kigo Poke and the eatery’s small, shaded patio are a welcome respite from the seemingly nonstop hustle and bustle of the surrounding area.
The Food
Simple paper menus are haphazardly arranged at the restaurant’s front counter, each proudly displaying eight poke bowls, four smoothie bowls, two bossed-up bagels and a selection of fruity sodas and teas.
For the uninitiated: poke (pronounced 'poh-kay') is a salad composed of raw fish that hails from the tropical American state of Hawaii. In many regards, the dish is similar to fish Carpaccio or Japanese sashimi and can be served plain 'n' simple as raw fish with seasoning (such as soy sauce and sesame oil) or with additional ingredients like rice, nuts and fruit.
On our visit to Kigo Poke, we sampled the avocado Hawaiian salmon poke bowl and the spicy mayo salmon poke bowl, both of which can also be made with tuna.
Image by Matt Bossons/That's
The avocado Hawaiian salmon bowl (RMB55) comes packed with its namesake vegetable, onion, scallions, tobiko, pineapple, pistachios, cashews, wakame, corn, cucumbers, seaweed and fried shallots with a soy sauce and ginger dressing. It’s fresh, and the portion of raw salmon provided in the bowl is considerable – particularly when its RMB55 pricetag is compared to Guangzhou’s other poke purveyors.
Virtually all the same ingredients make up the spicy mayo salmon bowl (RMB55), with only the avocado missing from the medley. The winning element in this dish, though, is the spicy mayo dressing, which offers a creeping heat and zesty smack that were notably absent in the Hawaiian bowl.
Image by Matt Bossons/That's
Both dishes come with a bed of white rice, which is admittedly our only complaint: the added texture of a five-grain rice mix would take these bowls from great to cloud-touching culinary excellence.
While you should definitely visit this new spot for the poke bowls, there are other edibles on offer. For the health-conscious, we suggest ordering the dragon fruit, strawberry and blueberry smoothie bowl (RMB38), while carb cravers would be wise to try a Sichuan spicy sausage cheese bagel (RMB42), topped with spicy shards of sausage, cream cheese and tomatoes.
Image by Matt Bossons/That's
Wash your meal down with a fruit smoothie (RMB22-26) or house-made berry soda (RMB18).
The Vibe
Image by Matt Bossons/That's
Friendly staff and the clean, simple interior make Kigo Poke a relaxing spot to unwind with a good book, or to tackle that work assignment you’ve been procrastinating on.
Price: RMB40-60
Who’s going: pescetarians, curious Changgang locals
Good for: fishy food, lean and clean eating
Nearest metro: Changgang (Exit D), 2 minutes
Open daily, 10am-10pm; see listing for Kigo Poke.
[Cover image by Matt Bossons/That's]
0 User Comments