Poke Bowls Recipe

Rinse and cook rice

Rinse 2 cups short-grain rice under cold water, swirling and draining several times until the water runs mostly clear. Drain 10–15 minutes. Combine rinsed rice and 360 ml water in a medium pot or rice cooker. If using a pot, bring to a boil, reduce to low, cover and simmer 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let rest, covered, 10 minutes.

Season rice

While rice rests, warm 3 tablespoons rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon sugar, and 1 teaspoon fine sea salt in a small saucepan or microwave just until sugar dissolves. Transfer cooked rice to a large shallow bowl, gently fold in the vinegar mixture with a rice paddle or wooden spoon until evenly combined. Fan or let cool slightly — rice should be warm, not hot, when assembling bowls.

Prepare tuna

Pat 450 g sushi-grade ahi tuna dry with paper towels. Cut into uniform 1/2-inch (about 1 cm) cubes so they absorb marinade evenly.

Make marinade

In a medium bowl combine 4 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce, 1 tablespoon sesame oil, 1 teaspoon rice vinegar, 1 teaspoon honey or brown sugar, and 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger. Whisk until the sugar dissolves.

Marinate tuna briefly

Add the cubed tuna to the marinade and toss gently to coat. Add 2 tablespoons thinly sliced scallions and 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds. Let sit 5–10 minutes at room temperature (do not marinate longer than 30 minutes for best texture). If you prefer, reserve a small amount of marinade for drizzling when serving.

Whisk together 4 tablespoons Japanese mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon sriracha, and 1 teaspoon lime juice in a small bowl until smooth. Taste and adjust heat or acid. Transfer to a squeeze bottle or small bowl for drizzling.

Prepare vegetables: thinly slice or julienne 1 cup cucumber, 1 cup carrot, and 1 cup radish (if using). Drain any excess liquid from kimchi and pat dry with paper towels. Keep pickled ginger accessible for plating.

Prepare remaining garnishes: shell and warm edamame (if frozen, steam or boil per package instructions and cool), slice or dice 1 cup avocado and toss gently with a squeeze of lime to slow browning. Thinly slice 2 tablespoons green onions. Break nori into strips or have furikake ready.

Divide the warm seasoned rice among 4 bowls (about 1 cup rice per bowl).

Arrange the marinated tuna on top of the rice in one section of each bowl (about 110–115 g tuna per serving).

Arrange cucumber, carrot, radish, edamame, kimchi (if using), and avocado in separate sections around the tuna to create a visually appealing bowl.

Drizzle spicy mayo over the tuna or vegetables if using. Optionally drizzle a little reserved marinade, extra soy sauce, or ponzu over the fish. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds, nori or furikake, crispy shallots, and masago/tobiko (if using) over the bowls.

Garnish with remaining sliced green onions, microgreens or cilantro, and serve with lime wedges and pickled ginger on the side.

Serve immediately while rice is warm and fish is fresh. Leftover marinated raw fish is not recommended for long storage — consume within 24 hours refrigerated. Store rice and toppings separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator up to 2 days; avocado is best prepared fresh.