If there’s one thing I’ve noticed growing up as a Muslim in Singapore would be the lack of healthy Halal-certified food options.
Most salad bars and poke bowl restaurants in Singapore aren’t halal so imagine my happiness when A Poke Theory finally announced that they finally got their Halal-certification.
Of course I had to head down and try it out for myself and finally understand what the hype surrounding poke bowls are all about.
Life’s Too Short To Eat Bad Food
If you have no idea what poke bowls are, it’s a traditional Hawaiian “salad” filled with rice, covered with chunks of raw, marinated fish (usually tuna) and topped with lots of vegetables and umami-packed sauces.
What you get is an Instagram-worthy poke bowl that looks good and tastes amazing as well!
In Hawaii, it’s often found everywhere, from gas stations to roadside stands. Diners get to pick out the kind of poke they want and get it to go in a Styrofoam container.
Stepping into A Poke Theory instantly brought me back to the time I first had my poke bowl in LA. It’s modern, minimal and even the music selection was a 10 out of 10. Definitely a great place to gather your friends or family for a healthy meal.
A Poke Theory has been around since July 2016 and it only made sense for them to move towards feeding a community even larger than what they they were already catering for.
There were several major changes that the owner, Joey Lee, and his head chef had to make to the recipes in order to maintain the same taste and quality. They spent over 3 weeks making changes to the soy sauce which was a major part of the marinade as well as coming up with their own furikake which took over a month and half.
Despite all the delays and challenges that they faced, they managed to re-engineer their prized marinades with Halal-certified ingredients to achieve the same taste as their original non-Halal marinades.
I spoke to one of the founders of A Poke Theory, Joey Lee, who is the mastermind behind all the recipe creations.
“Normally if you already have a winning formula, you wouldn’t want to change it. However, if we can make the Halal ingredients taste the same or even improve the recipe, it pushes us out of our comfort zone.”
In fact, they taste almost similar that regular customers could barely see the change in the recipes as adaptations to include Halal ingredients have already been incorporated to gradually over the last 4 months so as to keep quality control at its peak.
Ordering a Poke bowl here is simple. All you have to do is pick a size ($9.90, $12.90, $15.90), your choice of base, poke (up to 2 options), free toppings and additional premium toppings that are freshly made daily.
If it’s your first time ordering a poke bowl, we highly recommend you getting the Lemon Herb Quinoa which pairs really well with the poke. It’s definitely a lighter option as compared to the signature sushi rice.
Be adventurous and get both the tuna and salmon! Their two best-selling poke would be the Spicy Garlic Sesame Tuna and Avocado Miso Salmon. The Avocado Miso sauce is a hit at A Poke Theory as the sauce is thick and creamy from the combination of olive oil, fresh spinach leaves and greek yoghurt. No mayo is included which makes it completely healthy and guilt-free!
They’ll be releasing new seasonal special flavours as well. Diners can look forward to their Romesco Salmon soon which is a bold step away from their typical Asian flavours.
With the smallest bowl priced at $9.90, it’s definitely an affordable and healthy lunch option especially if you’re working around the CBD areas.
If you’re looking for a healthy sweet treat, A Poke Theory makes gorgeous looking Superfood smoothie bowls which makes for a great post-gym fuel or after-work tête-à-têtes.
Swap your morning coffee for their cold pressed juices which ais packed with lotsa wholesome goodness, all bottled and ready to go for you. Their juice recipes are improvised from whatever leftover ingredients which is in line with A Poke Theory’s aim to minimise food wastage and making the most out of anything salvageable.
For those can’t get enough of their premium toppings especially their highly raved ‘Spiced Roasted Cashews’, you can get them in to-go snack packs for $6 each.
Look no further when it comes to healthy lunch options, pop by A Poke Theory for affordable and fresh poke bowls that won’t leave you in a post-lunch food coma.
A Poke Theory (Telok Ayer)
Address: 27 Boon Tat Street, Singapore 069623
Opening Hours: Mon – Fri: 11am – 8pm, Saturdays: 11am – 4pm, Closed Sundays & Public Holidays
Contact No.: 6904 8189
A Poke Theory (Bugis)
Address: #01-36/37, DUO Galleria, 7 Fraser St, Singapore 189356
Opening Hours: Mon – Fri: 11am – 9pm, Sat – Sun: 11am – 4pm, Closed on major Public Holidays
A Poke Theory (Kent Ridge)
Address: #02-12, One@KentRidge, 1 Lower Kent Ridge Road, Singapore 119082
Opening Hours: Mon – Fri: 11am – 8pm, Sat – Sun: 11am – 3.30pm, Closed on Sundays & Public Holidays
A Poke Theory (Marina One)
Address: #B2-52, Marina One, The Heart, 5 Straits View, Singapore 018935
Opening Hours: Mon – Fri: 11am – 8pm, Closed on Weekends & Public Holidays
Contact No.: 6284 3100
Website
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(Header Image Source: @apoketheory)
