Round, fresh and perfect for pimping your Instagram: we are of course talking about the pokébowl. The number of restaurants she makes has mushroomed in our country in the past five years. Why is the Hawaiian specialty doing so well? And what should not be missing in a bowl? We passed three poké shops. “I was blown away by the delicious marinades with the fish.”
Those who are tired of that smos cheese during the summer and are looking for a cooler lunch have found the pokébowl an ideal replacement with the traditional rice bowl. Round, fresh and nutritious. The number of restaurants she creates has mushroomed over the past five years. Why is this Hawaiian specialty doing so well? And what should not be missing in a bowl? Three poke cases
Nowadays you will find a shop that sells pokébowls on every street corner. The traditional dish originates from Hawaii and literally means ‘to cut crosswise’. These are marinated pieces of fish, which are traditionally eaten as leftovers by fishermen. In Europe, the dish is influenced by Japanese cuisine, and you can generally find four main ingredients: rice, fish, vegetables and toppings. Usually the fish is tuna, but salmon and steak meat are also possible. Commonly used vegetables include avocado, corn, and seaweed.
Michel Libotton – The Avocado Bar: “In Hawaii it is a very greasy dish”
Michel Libotton (30) first came into contact with the court six years ago in Hawaii. “At that time I traveled around the world with a few other business partners to discover new culinary concepts. The traditional pokébowl really blew my mind back then. The marinades in the fish were so tasty, I had never tasted that with us.”
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Michel Libotton at his ‘Avocado Bar’. © The Avocado Bar
Because of that culinary experience, Michel decided in 2017 to start his own restaurant: The Avocado Bar. There are already branches in Mechelen and Aarschot. “But make no mistake, the pokébowls from Hawaii and Europe are very different. In Hawaii, a poké bowl is one of the most greasy dishes you can eat. Often it is served between taco leaves and there are hardly any fresh vegetables. Moreover, those vegetables are also fried. In Belgium, fish is usually the main ingredient, but you also get a load of fresh vegetables and European rice. Here the dish is really considered a healthy meal.”
According to Michel, the success of the pokébowl lies in the fact that more people are looking for something healthy. “They no longer always want to reach for greasy fast food. I’m not saying that a pokébowl is healthier than a regular salad, but it is a lot better than, say, a vol-au-vent or stew. A pokébowl contains many pure ingredients. Most of the calories come mainly from sauces that you put on it. Furthermore, the fact that you can put together your own pokébowl with an infinite number of ingredients is a big plus.”
Tibeau van Ael and Maedeh Khatibi – Aloha Poké Bowls: “Cheap fast food but healthy”
Tibeau van Ael (23) and Maedeh Khatibi (25) also got hold of the ‘poké bowl stimulus’ abroad. The couple discovered the dish last year during a city trip in Paris. “We immediately fell in love with it,” says Tibeau. “When we returned home to Knokke-Heist, we decided to exchange our studies for entrepreneurship and set up our own business: Aloha Poké Bowls.”
With success, because in September the couple will open a second location in Blankenberge and in 2023 there will be a pop-up in Ghent. “We would also like to start working with student deals,” says Tibeau. “As a student you often don’t have a big budget to buy food, and you don’t always feel like putting in the time. Then you often opt for cheap fast food such as pizza or pita bread. We therefore want to offer students a quick but healthy alternative with our poké bowls.”
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Tibeau van Ael and Maedeh Khatibi, owners of Aloha Poké. © Wouter Lampaert
“Pokébowls are like sushi, only cheaper and better,” Tibeau laughs when we ask him why that poké has become so popular. “In a pokébowl you will find fish, rice and fresh vegetables, and it is not that expensive. For 11 euros you already have a medium bowl with us, and that will fill you up. Moreover, it is healthy, and you have a much better taste experience than with an ordinary salad. After all, you can make your pokébowl as crazy as you want.”
Khibar – Ohana Pokébowls: “Sushi in falafel form”
The Dutchman Khibar-Jabar-Geel (29) had also been living in Ostend for ten years when he started to notice the advance of pokébowls in his native country. “My childhood friend Rico (23) introduced me to healthy takeaway two years ago. That turned out to be the poke bowl. I was immediately sold. Moreover, I realized that the concept did not yet exist in Flanders. Ohana Pokebowls was born.”
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Jabar (29), the driving force behind Ohana Pokébowls in Ostend. © Bart Boterman
“Together we test different flavors and see what works and what doesn’t. I think of pokébowl as a falafel-shaped sushi. It contains the same ingredients and therefore also proteins. Just think of salmon or tuna. The difference is that a pokébowl is not rolled up and is larger in quantity.” The cooperation between Khibar and Rico is going well: this year they already opened their second branch in Roeselare. They also regularly supply football club KV Mechelen: “The pokébowls are ideal for athletes because they are packed with proteins and healthy fats,” they say.
“People have become more and more concerned with health in recent years,” says Khibar about the popularity of poké bowls. “If things have to go fast, we don’t always want to opt for greasy fast food anymore. A pokébowl plays a handy role in this. Plus, the dish is perfect for Instagram photos. Because you work with fresh products, you often get very beautiful colors. Just think of the fresh green colors of avocado. I regularly see people take pictures of their bowl before they start eating,” he laughs.
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2023-08-03 09:30:00
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